# cockatoo

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #51,617

## Definitions
1. A bird of the family Cacatuidae with a curved beak and a zygodactyl foot.
2. A lookout posted during a two-up game, when gambling was illegal.

## Etymology
From Dutch kaketoe, borrowed from Malay kakaktua, kakatua. Spelling influenced by cock.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cockatoo