noun
cocking
noun
1
The practice of raising and pitting gamecocks against each other; cockfighting.
"Cocking was once a popular, if brutal, spectator sport in rural England."
adjective
1
British slang used to mean worthless, annoying, or contemptible.
"He called the whole scheme a cocking waste of time."
How to Use Cocking
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishHistorically the sport of fighting roosters; informally, a mild swear-adjacent insult in British slang.
When to use it
The adjective sense is informal and mildly vulgar British slang.
Word Forms
cockings plural, Cockings plural
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_____ was once a popular, if brutal, spectator sport in rural England.
Etymology
From cock (a male bird, especially a rooster) plus the suffix -ing.