The present participle of cuckoo; calling like a cuckoo, or the act of illegally taking over someone's home by befriending them and gradually moving in criminal associates.
From 'cuckoo' + the present participle suffix '-ing'. The modern criminal sense emerged in Britain in the 2000s, referencing the cuckoo's invasion of other birds' nests.
Modern police in the UK use the term 'cuckooing' for a type of fraud where criminals gradually infiltrate and control vulnerable people's homes—language evolves when society needs new words for new problems.
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