cock

cock¹

—cocklike, adj.

/kok/, n.

1. a male chicken; rooster.

2. the male of any bird, esp. of the gallinaceous kind.

3. Also called stopcock. a hand-operated valve or faucet, esp. one opened or closed by rotating a cylindrical or tapered plug having part of the passage pierced through it from side to side.

4. (in a firearm)

a. the part of the lock that, by its fall or action, causes the discharge; hammer. See diag. under flintlock.

b. the position into which the cock, or hammer, is brought by being drawn partly or completely back, preparatory to firing.

5. Slang (vulgar).

a. penis.

b. sexual relations with a man.

6. a weathercock.

7. aleader; chief person.

8. Chiefly Brit. Informal. pal; chum.

9. Brit. Slang. nonsense.

10. Horol. a bracketlike plate holding bearings, supported at one end only. Cf. bridge¹ (def. 17).

11. Archaic. the time of the crowing of the cock; early in the morning; cockcrow.

v.t.

12. to pull back and set the cock, or hammer, of (a firearm) preparatory to firing.

13. to draw back in preparation for throwing or hitting: He cocked his bat and waited for the pitch.

14. to set (a camera shutter or other mechanism) for tripping. Cf. trip¹ (def. 29).

v.i.

15. to cock the firing mechanism of a firearm.

[bef. 900; ME cock, OE cocc; c. ON kokkr; orig. imit.]

cock²

/kok/, v.t.

1. to set or turn up or to one side, often in an assertive, jaunty, or significant manner: He cocked his eyebrow questioningly.

v.i.

2. to stand or stick up conspicuously.

3. Scot. and New England. to strut; swagger; put on airs of importance.

4. cock a snook. See snook² (def. 2).

n.

5. the act of turning the head, a hat, etc., up or to one side in a jaunty or significant way.

6. the position of anything thus placed.

[1705-15; prob. special use of COCK¹]

cock³

/kok/, n. Chiefly Northern and North Midland U.S.

1. a conical pile of hay, dung, etc.

v.t.

2. to pile (hay, dung, etc.) in cocks.

[1350-1400; ME; c. dial. G Kocke heap of hay or dung, Norw kok heap, lump; akin to ON kokkr lump]

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