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Coo vs Wail - What's the difference?

coo | wail |

As verbs the difference between coo and wail

is that coo is while wail is to cry out, as in sorrow or anguish or wail can be (obsolete) to choose; to select.

As a noun wail is

a prolonged cry, usually high-pitched, especially as of grief or anguish.

coo

English

Etymology 1

Of onomatopoetic/imitative origin.

Noun

(-)
  • The murmuring sound made by a dove or pigeon.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (transitive, or, intransitive) To make a soft murmuring sound, as a pigeon.
  • * 26 June 2014 , A.A Dowd, AV Club Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler spoof rom-com clichés in They Came Together [http://www.avclub.com/review/paul-rudd-and-amy-poehler-spoof-rom-com-cliches-th-206220]
  • As Norah Jones coos sweet nothings on the soundtrack, the happy couple—played by Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler—canoodle through a Manhattan montage, making pasta for two, swimming through a pile of autumn leaves, and horsing around at a fruit stand.
  • To speak in an admiring fashion, to be enthusiastic about.
  • * 2013 , Nicola Cornick, One Night with the Laird (page 206)
  • They were too busy cooing over the baby and his parents were too busy cooing over each other.
    Derived terms
    * cooer * cooingly

    Etymology 2

    Shortening of cool. Compare foo.

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (slang) cool
  • Etymology 3

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • Expression of fright, surprise, approval, etc.
  • * {{quote-book
  • , year=1960 , author= , title=(Jeeves in the Offing) , section=chapter VII , passage=I stood outside the door for a space, letting “I dare not” wait upon “I would”, as Jeeves tells me cats do in adages, then turned the handle softly, pushed – also softly – and, carrying on into the interior, found myself confronted by a girl in housemaid's costume who put a hand to her throat like somebody in a play and leaped several inches in the direction of the ceiling. “Coo'!” she said, having returned to terra firma and taken aboard a spot of breath. “You gave me a start, sir!” [...] “If you cast an eye on him, you will see that he's asleep now.” “' Coo ! So he is.”}}
  • * 1988 , Sean Kelly, Professional BMX Simulator'' (video game review in ''Your Sinclair , issue 35, November 1988)
  • The last track on each of the three sections is a professional course, where you can customise your bike by changing the tyres and the size of chainwheel. Coo !
  • * 1989 , Competitions'' (in ''Sinclair User , issue 92, November 1989)
  • We want you to come up with a side splitting caption for a picture drawn by the fair hand of those at System 3. If you turn out to be the Funniest "Person", we'll give you a big wopping model of a dinosaur. Coo .
  • * 1990 , Crash readers' awards ceremony'' (in ''Crash , issue 75, April 1990)
  • Mark: 'Coo', I've only had four gallons of extra caffeine coffee today so I'm not my usual talking-to-PR-girlies-for-hours-on-end self. But bear with me a mo while I get myself together (audience waits for an age while he searches through his coat for the golden envelope). Here it is! ' Coo , and the winner is The New Zealand Story.'

    wail

    English

    Etymology 1

    Probably from (etyl) Etymology in Webster's Dictionary

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A prolonged cry, usually high-pitched, especially as of grief or anguish.
  • She let out a loud, doleful wail .
  • Any similar sound as of lamentation; a howl.
  • The wail of snow-dark winter winds.
    A bird's wail in the night.
  • A sound made by emergency vehicle sirens, contrasted with "yelp" which is higher-pitched and faster.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cry out, as in sorrow or anguish.
  • To weep, lament persistently or bitterly.
  • To make a noise like mourning or crying.
  • The wind wailed and the rain streamed down.
  • To lament; to bewail; to grieve over.
  • to wail one's death
    (Shakespeare)
  • (slang, music) To perform with great liveliness and force.
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • Derived terms
    * wailer * wailingly
    References

    Etymology 2

    Compare Icelandic word for "choice".

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To choose; to select.
  • * Henryson
  • Wailed wine and meats
    (Webster 1913) English terms with homophones