cock1 /kok/ noun- A male bird, esp of the domestic fowl (also often as combining form, eg cockbird, cock-robin, cock-sparrow)
- A male crab, lobster or salmon
- A weathercock
- (sometimes as old cock) a familiar form of address to a man (slang)
- A strutting chief or leader (slang)
- Anything set erect
- A tap
- Part of the lock of a gun, held back by a spring, which, when released by the trigger, produces the discharge
- The penis (vulgar sl)
- Nonsense (informal)
transitive verb- To set erect or upright (often with up)
- To set up the brim of
- To draw back (eg the cock of a gun)
- To turn up or to one side
- To tilt up (one's head, ears, etc) knowingly, inquiringly or scornfully
intransitive verb- To strut
- To swagger
ORIGIN: OE coc; ON kokkr cocked adjective - Set erect
- Turned up or to one side
- (of a gun) with the cock drawn back, ready to fire
cockˈer noun - Someone who follows cockfighting
- A cocker spaniel (see below)
- A term of familiarity (slang)
cockˈerel noun A young cock (see also cockle5) cockˈily adverb cockˈiness, cocksˈiness or coxˈiness noun cockˈy, cocksˈy or coxˈy adjective - Self-important, bumptious
- Pert
cock-a-doodle-dooˈ noun (imit) the crow of a cock intransitive verb To crow cock-a-hoopˈ adjective - In exultant spirits
- Boastful
cockaleekie see cockieleekie below. cockalōˈrum noun - A bumptious little person
- A boys' jumping game
cockˈamamie adjective (US sl) Ridiculous, incredible cockˈ-and-bullˈ adjective (of a story) fabricated and incredible cockˈ-broth noun The broth made from a boiled cock cockchafer noun see separate entry. cockˈ-crow noun Early morning, when cocks crow cocked hat noun - An old-fashioned three-cornered hat
- A small triangle on a navigational chart formed in taking account of three bearing measurements (nautical)
cocker spaniel noun A small spaniel used to retrieve birds in game shooting cockˈeye noun A squinting eye cockeye bob or cockeyed bob noun (Aust sl) - A sudden thunderstorm
- A cyclone
cockˈeyed adjective - Having a cockeye
- Off the straight, awry (informal)
- Tipsy (informal)
- Crazy, absurd (informal)
cockˈfight or cockˈfighting noun - A fight or contest between gamecocks
- A fight
cockhorseˈ noun A child's imaginary or toy horse adjective Prancing, proud adverb - Properly a-cockhorseˈ (ie on cockhorse) on horseback
- Exultingly
cockieleekˈie or cockyleekˈy or cock(-)a(-)leekˈie noun (Scot) Soup made from a fowl and leeks cocking piece noun A piece of wood used to build a roof out over eaves (also sprocket) cockˈlaird noun (Scot) The owner of a small farm, who farms it in person cockˈloft noun A small room just under the roof cockˈmatch noun A cockfight cock-of-the-rockˈ noun A S American bird of the family Cotingidae cock-pad(d)le or cock-paidle see paddle3 cockˈpit noun - A sheltered depression in the deck of a yacht or small ship
- (in aircraft) a compartment in the fuselage, usu for the pilot or rarely for the passenger(s)
- The driver's seat in a racing car
- A pit or enclosed space where gamecocks fought
- A frequent battleground
- Part of a ship-of-war's lower regions used for the wounded in action
cock'sˈ-comb or cocksˈcomb noun - The comb or crest on a cock's head
- A jester's cap
- A crest-like crystalline mineral aggregate (as in cockscomb pyrites)
- A name for various plants, esp Celosia cristata (family Amarantaceae), with a fasciated inflorescence like a cock's comb, also yellow rattle (genus Rhinanthus), and sainfoin
- A coxcomb
cocksˈfoot noun A Eurasian grass (Dactylis glomerata) with inflorescences like a cock's foot cockˈ-shoot noun (obsolete) A glade where woodcock were netted as they shot through cockˈshot noun A cockshy cockˈshut noun (archaic or dialect) Twilight, prob referring to the time when poultry are shut up for the night cockˈshy noun - A throw at a target, orig a cock, for amusement
- An object set up for this purpose
- An object of criticism or ridicule
cock-sparrˈow noun - A male sparrow
- A small, lively person
cockˈspur noun - A spur on the leg of a gamecock
- A type of catch used on casement windows
- A hawthorn (Crataegus crusgalli) with long thorns and orange autumn foliage
cockspur grass noun (Echinochloa crusgalli) an invasive grass of warmer, orig only tropical, climates cockˈsucker noun (vulgar sl) - A contemptible person who attempts to ingratiate himself with his superiors
- A toady
- A male homosexual
cockˈsure adjective Irritatingly self-confident or self-assured cockˈsurely adverb cockˈsureness noun cockˈteaser noun (vulgar sl) A woman who deliberately provokes a man's sexual arousal, then refuses sexual intercourse cock-throppˈled or cock-thrappˈled adjective Of a horse, bending the windpipe on bridling cockˈthrowing noun The old sport of throwing sticks at a cock cockˈ-up adjective - Turned up
- Rising above the tops of the other letters, superior (printing)
noun (informal) A muddle, mess, confusion cockyleeky see cockieleekie above. cock a snook see under snook2 cock of the walk A person who (thinks he or she) is the most important in a group cock up (informal) To do or perform very badly go off at half cock (informal) To begin too soon, when not properly prepared knock into a cocked hat To give a profound beating, to defeat live like fighting cocks To have every luxury knock /nok/ intransitive verb- To strike hard or heavily
- To drive or be driven against something
- To strike esp a door for admittance
- To rap
- To make a noise by, or as if by, striking
- (of machinery) to rattle or clank regularly
- (of an internal-combustion engine) to make the noise caused by detonation
transitive verb- To strike
- To drive against
- To bring to a specified state or position by striking or pushing
- To make by striking
- To impress strongly, stun, daze, confound (slang)
- To disparage, criticize in a carping way (informal)
- To approach (a specified age) (informal)
- To have sexual intercourse with (slang)
noun- A sudden stroke
- A rap
- The noise of detonation in an internal-combustion engine
- A reversal, shock, setback (informal)
- A criticism (informal)
- An innings, a spell at batting (cricket)
- A clock (Scot)
ORIGIN: OE cnocian; perh imit knockˈer noun - Someone who knocks
- A device suspended on a door for making a knock
- A carper or critic (informal)
- (in pl) a woman's breasts (slang)
- Someone who makes unsolicited door-to-door calls on domestic householders, eg hoping to buy valuables from them, or selling, etc
- A goblin thought to inhabit a mine who points out the presence of ore by knocks (dialect)
knockˈing noun - A beating on a door
- A rap
- A noise as if of something that knocks
- Knock in an internal-combustion engine
- The practice of making unsolicited calls on householders, eg hoping to buy valuables from them
knockˈabout noun - A boisterous performance with horseplay
- A performer of such turns
- Someone who does odd jobs, esp on a station (Aust)
- A small yacht without a bowsprit (N American)
- A small motor car suitable for doing short journeys
adjective - Boisterous (orig theatre)
- Suitable for rough use (obsolete)
knockˈ-back noun - A setback
- A refusal or rejection (slang)
- A refusal of parole from prison (slang)
knockˈ-down noun - An act or instance of knocking down
- An introduction (US, Aust and NZ informal)
adjective - Such as to overthrow, powerful
- Adapted for being taken to pieces
- (of prices) very low
knockedˈ-down adjective Supplied in parts or kit form for assembly by the purchaser knockˈer-up noun A person employed to rouse workers in the morning knock-for-knock agreement, policy, etc noun An arrangement between motor insurance companies by which, after an accident involving two cars, each company settles the damage to the car it insures without considering which driver was to blame knocking copy noun Advertising material that denigrates competing products knockˈing-shop or knocking shop noun (slang) A brothel knockˈ-knee noun The state of being knock-kneed knock-kneedˈ adjective - Having knees that knock or touch in walking
- Weak (figurative)
knockˈ-on see knock on and knock-on effect below. adjective (informal) Causing or caused by a series of consequences knockˈout noun - The act of knocking out
- A blow that knocks out
- A conspiracy among dealers at an auction to keep prices artificially low
- Any person or thing of outstanding attraction or excellence (informal)
- A knockout competition
- See also technical knockout under technical
adjective - (of a competition) eliminating losers at each round
- Stunningly attractive or excellent (informal)
knockout auction noun An auction at which the majority of bidders are dealers in league to keep prices artificially low knockout drops plural noun (informal) A drug put in a drink to make the drinker unconscious knockˈ-rating noun The measurement of freedom from knocking of a fuel in an internal-combustion engine, as compared with a standard fuel knockˈ-up noun (in tennis, etc) practice immediately before a match knock about or around - To mistreat physically
- To discuss informally
- To saunter, loaf about
- To be around in the area
- To travel about, roughing it and having varied experiences
- To be a casual friend of, associate with (with with)
knock back (informal) - To drink or eat, esp swiftly
- To cost
- To shock, disconcert
- To rebuff, reject, turn down
knock cold - To knock (someone) out
- To shock violently
knock copy To disparage a rival's products knock down - To fell with a blow
- To demolish
- To assign (an article) with a tap of the auctioneer's hammer (to)
- To reduce in price (informal)
- To spend (one's resources) on a drinking binge (Aust and NZ sl)
- To misappropriate, filch (US) (knock-down adjective see above)
knock into a cocked hat see under cock1 knock into the middle of next week (informal) To hit (someone) very hard knock off (informal) - To stop work
- To stop, discontinue
- To accomplish hastily
- To deduct
- To steal, rob (slang)
- To copy illegally, to pirate (slang)
- To kill (slang)
- To have sexual intercourse with (slang)
knock on - To grow old (informal)
- To knock (the ball) forward with the hand or arm (an infringement of the rules in rugby; knockˈ-on noun)
knock-on effect The effect one action or occurrence has on one or more indirectly related matters or circumstances knock one's head against a brick wall To meet with total resistance or refusal to compromise knock on the head (informal) To suppress, put an end to knock on wood see touch wood under touch knock out - To dislodge by a blow
- To strike unconscious or incapable of recovering in time (boxing)
- To defeat in a knockout competition
- To overcome, demolish, destroy, disable
- To produce, esp quickly or roughly (informal)
- To tire (oneself) out (slang)
- To overwhelm with amazement, admiration, etc (slang)
- To disable (a specific gene) in order to study the effect that it has on an organism (genetics)
knock sideways (informal) To put off one's usual course knock the bottom out of (informal) - To make, or show to be, invalid
- To make ineffectual, bring to nothing
knock the (living) daylights out of see under day knock together (informal) To get together or construct hastily knock under (archaic) To give in, yield knock up - To rouse by knocking
- To wear out
- To construct or arrange hastily
- To achieve (a certain score) (games, esp cricket)
- To practise immediately before a match (tennis, etc)
- To make pregnant (slang)
on the knocker - On credit (slang)
- Immediately, on the nail (Aust sl)
up to the knocker (obs sl) Up to the required standard of excellence or fashion |