Bald as a Coot Describes a White Patch, Not Baldness
A coot is a black water bird with a white forehead. The idiom about it is nearly six centuries old.
A coot is a black water bird with a white shield above its beak. *Bald as a coot*, recorded from the 1400s, does not mean the bird is featherless. *Bald* once meant white-patched, which is also why a *bald* eagle has a full head of white feathers and why a horse with a white blaze was called bald. A coot's feet are lobed rather than webbed, folding on the forward stroke — a solution to swimming that also lets it walk on soft ground.
- A black water bird. *A coot on the lake.*
- Bald as a coot — completely bald. *Bald as a coot.*
- An old fool (informal). *A silly old coot.*
- Bald — once meant white-patched. *Bald.*
- Middle English — *cote*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | coot | A coot. |
| Plural | coots | Coots. |
| Idiom | bald as a coot | Bald as a coot. |
| Related | moorhen | A moorhen. |
| Middle English | cote | A coot. |
- A coot dived for weed.Bird.
- He is bald as a coot.Idiom.
- Bald once meant white-patched.Etymology.
Where bald means white
- Bald eagle — named for its white head, not for baldness
- Bald as a coot — from the bird's white forehead shield
- A bald-faced horse — one with a broad white blaze
- Piebald — patched with white
- Skewbald — white patched with a colour other than black
Middle English *cote*, probably of Low German origin.
Why is a coot called bald?
Bald once meant white-patched. The coot has a white shield above its beak, and the bald eagle a white head.
Are coot feet webbed?
No. They are lobed, with flaps along each toe that fold on the forward stroke, which also suits walking on soft ground.