DictionaryRoot: kakatua
Malay

kakatua

cockatoo

1 / 1
A single sulphur-crested cockatoo perched on a short branch, with its yellow crest fully raised, white plumage and hooked dark beak clearly visible.
noun

cockatoo

KAH-kuh-too/ˈkɑːkətuː/

A parrot with a crest of feathers on its head.

Etymology

Malay kakatua already named the bird. Its deeper origin is uncertain: it may imitate a sound, or it may combine words meaning “elder sibling” and “old.”

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