noun

cock

kok

noun

An adult male chicken; a rooster.

"The cock crowed at dawn."

A valve or tap that controls the flow of liquid or gas.

"He turned the stopcock to shut off the water."

Vulgar slang: a penis.

"(vulgar slang, generally avoided in formal writing)"

verb

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

"He cocked his head, listening carefully."

"She cocked the pistol before stepping through the door."

How to Use Cock

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishPrimarily the word for a male chicken and for tilting something (like a head or a gun hammer); also common crude slang for a penis.

When to use it

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

Common pairings

cock a gun cock an eyebrow a stopcock

cocked past tense, cocked past tense, cocks plural, cocks plural, cocks plural, cocks singular, cocks singular

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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.

cockbird rooster

man rooster informant

ock mock rock lock sock dock bock hock jock tock clock stock

cockbird rooster man informant