Cock, v. t. To put into cocks
or heaps, as hay.
Under the cocked hay.
Spenser.
Cock, n. [Of. coque, F.
coche, a small vessel, L. concha muscle shell, a
vessel. See Coach, and cf. Cog a small boat.]
A small boat.
Yond tall anchoring bark [appears]
Diminished to her cock; her cock, a buoy
Almost too small for sight.
Shak.
Cock, n. A corruption or
disguise of the word God, used in oaths. [Obs.] "By
cock and pie." Shak.
Cock (?), n. [AS. coc; of
unknown origin, perh. in imitation of the cry of the cock. Cf.
Chicken.] 1. The male of birds,
particularly of gallinaceous or domestic fowls.
2. A vane in the shape of a cock; a
weathercock.
Drenched our steeples, drowned the
cocks!
Shak.
3. A chief man; a leader or master.
[Humorous]
Sir Andrew is the cock of the club, since
he left us.
Addison.
4. The crow of a cock, esp. the first
crow in the morning; cockcrow. [Obs.]
He begins at curfew, and walks till the first
cock.
Shak.
5. A faucet or valve.
☞ Jonsons says, "The handle probably had a cock on
the top; things that were contrived to turn seem anciently to
have had that form, whatever was the reason." Skinner says,
because it used to be constructed in forma critæ
galli, i.e., in the form of a cock's comb.
6. The style of gnomon of a dial.
Chambers.
7. The indicator of a balance.
Johnson.
8. The bridge piece which affords a
bearing for the pivot of a balance in a clock or watch.
Knight.
Ball cock. See under Ball. -
- Chaparral cock. See under
Chaparral. -- Cock and bull story,
an extravagant, boastful story; a
canard. -- Cock of the plains
(Zoöl.) See Sage cock. --
Cock of the rock (Zoöl.), a
South American bird (Rupicola aurantia) having a beautiful
crest. -- Cock of the walk, a chief or
master; the hero of the hour; one who has overcrowed, or got the
better of, rivals or competitors. -- Cock of the
woods. See Capercailzie.
Cock (kŏk), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Cocked (kŏkt);
p. pr. & vb. n. Cocking.] [Cf. Gael.
coc to cock.] 1. To set erect; to
turn up.
Our Lightfoot barks, and cocks his
ears.
Gay.
Dick would cock his nose in scorn.
Swift.
2. To shape, as a hat, by turning up the
brim.
3. To set on one side in a pert or jaunty
manner.
They cocked their hats in each other's
faces.
Macaulay.
4. To turn (the eye) obliquely and
partially close its lid, as an expression of derision or
insinuation.
Cocked hat. (a) A hat
with large, stiff flaps turned up to a peaked crown, thus making
its form triangular; -- called also three-cornered
hat. (b) A game similar to ninepins,
except that only three pins are used, which are set up at the
angles of a triangle.
Cock, v. i. To strut; to
swagger; to look big, pert, or menacing.
Addison.
Cock, n. The act of cocking;
also, the turn so given; as, a cock of the eyes; to give a
hat a saucy cock.
Cock, n. [It. cocca notch of
an arrow.] 1. The notch of an arrow or
crossbow.
2. The hammer in the lock of a
firearm.
At cock, At full cock,
with the hammer raised and ready to fire; -- said of
firearms, also, jocularly, of one prepared for instant
action. -- At half cock. See under
Half. -- Cock feather
(Archery), the feather of an arrow at right angles to
the direction of the cock or notch. Nares.
Cock, v. t. To draw the hammer
of (a firearm) fully back and set it for firing.
Cock, v. i. To draw back the
hammer of a firearm, and set it for firing.
Cocked, fired, and missed his man.
Byron.
Cock, n. [Cf. Icel.
kökkr lump, Dan. kok heap, or E. cock
to set erect.] A small concial pile of hay.