- Original: שׁחף - Transliteration: Shachaph - Phonetic: shakh'-af - Definition: 1. a ceremonially unclean bird a. cuckow, gull, seagull, sea-mew b. maybe an extinct bird, exact meaning unknown - Origin: from an unused root meaning to peel, i.e. emaciate - TWOT entry: 2365a - Part(s) of speech: Noun Masculine - Strong's: From an unused root meaning to peel that is emaciate; the gull (as thin): - cuckoo. Total KJV Occurrences: 2 • cuckoo, 2 Leviticus 11:16; Deuteronomy 14:15