Meanings
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1
noun
a parrot of the family Cacatuidae, typically having a prominent movable crest
A white cockatoo raised its yellow crest and gave a piercing call.
Thesaurus
Word family
Forms
cockatoos
Etymology
Borrowed through Dutch kaketoe from Malay kakatua, the bird's name. The English spelling was reshaped under the influence of cock, although the words are not historically related.