Words / A1

KUK-uh-bur-uh/ˈkʊkəbʌrə/

A kookaburra is an Australian bird in the kingfisher family; its loud call sounds like a person laughing. Countable: a kookaburra, kookaburras. A kingfisher is smaller and dives for fish; a woodpecker taps trees and does not laugh like this. Mix-up: kookaburra vs cook a butter — not three words; one bird name.

Meaning

An Australian bird with a loud call that sounds like a laugh.

Examples

• “The kookaburra laughed in the tree.”
• “The kookaburra woke us at sunrise.”
• “A kookaburra sat on the fence with a worm.”

Good to know

a kookaburra (Australia, laughing call). Contrast: kingfisher (dives, smaller), woodpecker (taps). Mix-up: not cook.

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