cock

17 synonyms for cock, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — An adult male chicken; a rooster.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

dick tool

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

shaft prick hammer rooster

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

stopcock pecker turncock putz cockbird tittup swagger prance strut ruffle sashay

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

An adult male chicken; a rooster.

“A proud cock strutted around the farmyard, watching over the hens.”

dick stopcock pecker shaft prick turncock hammer putz cockbird rooster tool

2. verb

To tilt or raise something at an angle, or to pull back the hammer of a gun ready to fire.

“The dog cocked its ears at the strange noise outside.”

tittup swagger prance strut ruffle sashay

How to use cock

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

cock a gun cock an eyebrow a stopcock

The bird and valve/gun senses are standard English; the anatomical sense is vulgar and best avoided in formal contexts.

Etymology

From Old English cocc, most likely imitating the bird's crowing sound; the vulgar sense for "penis" has been in use since at least the 1600s.

Full origin of cock →

Frequently asked questions

What does “cock” mean?

The word “cock” means an adult male chicken; a rooster.

How do you pronounce “cock”?

“Cock” is pronounced kok (/kɑk/ in IPA).

How do you use “cock” in a sentence?

Here is “cock” used in a sentence: “The cock crowed at dawn.”

What is another word for “cock”?

Words with a similar meaning to “cock” include cockbird and rooster.

What part of speech is “cock”?

Depending on how it is used, “cock” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “cock” come from?

The word “cock” dates back to around 1600 and comes from Old English.

Is “cock” a common word?

“Cock” is a fairly common word in modern English.

How many meanings does “cock” have?

“Cock” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an adult male chicken; a rooster.

People also searched

dick tool hammer shaft prick rooster swagger strut stopcock ruffle sashay putz

Nearby words

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