coot

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Any of several dark-gray aquatic birds of the genus Fulica of North America and Europe, having a black head and neck, lobed toes, and a white bill.
2. n. See scoter.
3. n. Informal An eccentric or crotchety person, especially an eccentric old man.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A lobiped grallatorial and natatorial bird, of the genus Fulica and family Rallidæ, having the toes broadly lobate, the culmen of the bill extended on the front as a boss or casque, short wings, a very short, cocked-up tail, or bobtail, and thick and duck-like plumage on the under surface of the body. In the coots the body is more depressed than in the rails and gallinules, their nearest relatives. They swim with ease, build a large coarse nest of reeds and rank herbage by the water's edge, and lay numerous creamy eggs spotted in dark colors. There are 12 or more species, of most parts of the world, much resembling one another, all being blackish or slate-colored, and about 15 inches long. The common or bald coot of Europe is F. atra; that of America is F. americana, sometimes called shuffler. The flesh is edible.
2. n. The foolish guillemot, Lomviatroile.
3. n. A scoter; one of the large black sea-ducks of the genera (Edemia, Pelionetta, and Melanetta. The black scoter, (Edemia americana, is called black coot, and the velvet scoter, Melanetta fusca velvetina, is the white-winged coot.
4. n. A simpleton; a silly fellow.

Wiktionary

1. n. Any of various aquatic birds of the genus Fulica that are mainly black with a prominent frontal shield on the forehead.
2. n. A stupid fellow; a simpleton; as, a silly coot.
3. n. A success; something excellent.
4. n. Body louse.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A wading bird with lobate toes, of the genus Fulica. The common European or bald coot is Fulica atra (see under bald); the American is Fulica Americana
2. n. The surf duck or scoter. In the United States all the species of (Œdemia are called coots. See scoter.
3. n. A stupid fellow; a simpleton.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. slate-black slow-flying birds somewhat resembling ducks