cock

cock — noun

1. a fully grown male chicken, raised on a farm for mating with hens or for its mea

1.nounA2
Definition

a fully grown male chicken, raised on a farm for mating with hens or for its meat and eggs; it is known for its loud cry at daybreak.

Example

The cock crowed at dawn, waking everyone on Aiko's family farm.

collocation: cock crowed at dawn

Beatriz keeps three hens and one cock in her garden coop.

countable noun: a cock / one cock

Common collocations
  • cock crows
  • cock crows at dawn
  • cock and hens
  • cock of the farm
Synonyms
  • rooster

    the standard American English term for a male chicken

  • cockerel

    refers specifically to a young male chicken, usually under one year old

Antonyms
  • hen

    an adult female chicken

Grammar Patterns

a cock

the cock

Usage Note

In American English, the more common word for a male chicken is 'rooster'. 'Cock' is the usual term in British English but can sound old-fashioned or technical in US contexts.

Common Mistakes

I saw a cock singing.
I heard a cock crowing.
Birds crow (make a call); they do not sing like humans.

2. a fully grown male bird belonging to any species where the male and female look

2.nounB2
Definition

a fully grown male bird belonging to any species where the male and female look different — for instance, the brighter-coloured male pheasant, peacock, or robin.

Example

In spring, the cock robin sings from the tallest branch in Priya's garden.

pattern: [bird species] + cock

Birdwatchers spotted a cock pheasant with a long striped tail near the river.

Common collocations
  • cock pheasant
  • cock robin
  • cock peacock
  • cock sparrow
Synonyms
  • male

    a general term without focus on appearance; 'male bird' is more neutral and less vivid than 'cock'

Antonyms
  • hen

    used for female birds of some species; 'female' is the general term

Grammar Patterns

[bird name] + cock

cock + [bird name]

Usage Note

This sense is almost always used together with a species name (cock pheasant, cock robin, cock peacock). It is rarely used alone to mean 'male bird' without specifying the type.

Common Mistakes

I saw a cock in the park.' (ambiguous — listener thinks of a chicken).
I saw a cock pheasant in the park.
Always specify the bird species to avoid confusion with the farmyard meaning.

3. a vulgar and offensive slang term for a penis; used in rude jokes, insults, or e

3.nounC1
Definition

a vulgar and offensive slang term for a penis; used in rude jokes, insults, or explicit language, and generally avoided in polite conversation.

Example

The comedian's crude joke about his cock made several people walk out.

vulgar register — avoid in polite speech

Ravi told his younger brother that 'cock' is an offensive word for a body part.

Synonyms
  • penis

    the neutral, clinical term — safe for any context

  • dick

    equally vulgar slang; slightly more common in American English

Grammar Patterns

a cock

the cock

Usage Note

This is a strong vulgarity. Learners should recognise it when reading or listening, but avoid using it. It is much cruder than clinical terms like 'penis' and stronger than informal euphemisms.

Common Mistakes

He went to the doctor because his cock hurt.' (too vulgar for a medical context).
He went to the doctor because his penis hurt.
Use clinical vocabulary in medical or formal situations.

4. a friendly, informal way for one man to address another man, similar in tone to

4.nounB2
Definition

a friendly, informal way for one man to address another man, similar in tone to 'mate', 'pal', or 'buddy', and used especially in working-class or northern English speech.

Example

"Alright there, cock?" said the old man to his neighbour.

informal address between men

"Don't worry about it, cock, I'll sort it out," Tomás said with a grin.

Common collocations
  • alright cock
  • cheers cock
  • listen cock
Synonyms
  • mate

    common British informal address, less regional and more widely understood

  • pal

    friendly but can sound old-fashioned or slightly condescending

  • buddy

    American equivalent, friendly and informal

Grammar Patterns

used as a form of address: '[exclamation] + cock'

Usage Note

Confined almost entirely to British English working-class speech, especially in northern England. It is friendly between acquaintances but can sound presumptuous if used with strangers. Not used in American English.

Common Mistakes

A woman calling a male colleague 'cock' (inappropriate — this term is used between men).
A man saying 'Alright, mate?' to a male friend (safer, more widely understood).
'Cock' as an address is restricted to male-to-male informal British use.

5. a metal or plastic valve fitted to the end of a water or gas pipe; you turn it t

5.nounB2
Definition

a metal or plastic valve fitted to the end of a water or gas pipe; you turn it to start or stop the passage of water or fuel through the piping.

Example

Hana turned the cock on the kitchen sink to fill the kettle with water.

collocation: turn the cock

The plumber replaced the old bathroom cock because water was leaking from it.

Common collocations
  • turn the cock
  • gas cock
  • water cock
  • garden cock
  • cock is leaking
Synonyms
  • tap

    the modern, neutral term used in British and Australian English for a water faucet

  • faucet

    the standard American English term

  • valve

    a more general technical term for any device that controls flow

Grammar Patterns

a cock

turn the cock

cock + [preposition]

Usage Note

This sense is now somewhat old-fashioned in everyday British English, where 'tap' is the dominant word. 'Cock' survives in technical or older plumbing usage (e.g. 'stopcock' for the main water valve in a house).

Common Mistakes

Please turn off the cock.' (could cause confusion or embarrassment due to the vulgar meaning).
Please turn off the tap.
Use 'tap' in everyday situations to avoid the vulgar homograph.

cock — verb

Word family

  • cockerel
    nounB2
  • cocky
    adjectiveB2
  • cocksure
    adjectiveC1
  • stopcock
    nounC1
  • cockfighting
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

In English, the adult male chicken has three common names, and choosing the right one depends on region and nuance. 'Cock' is the standard term in British English and is used on farms and in cookery (e.g. 'cock soup'). 'Rooster' is the preferred American English term and is also widely understood in the UK through media. If you are writing or speaking for an American audience, 'rooster' is safer — a British reader will understand it, but an American reader may find 'cock' old-fashioned or even jarring because of its vulgar homophone meaning. 'Cockerel' refers specifically to a young male chicken, usually less than a year old, that has not yet reached full size or mating age. For example: 'The farmer bought two cockerels and a cock.' means he bought two young males and one adult male. When in doubt for general use, choose 'rooster' in American contexts and 'cock' in British ones.

cock ↗roostercockerel

Common collocations

Nouns

  • cock + [bird species]
  • [body part] + cocked

Phrases

  • cock of the walk
  • cock a snook
  • go off at half cock

Etymology

Old EnglishGermanicEnglish

The noun 'cock' comes from Old English 'cocc', which likely imitates the crowing sound of a rooster. Similar words appear in many Germanic languages (Old Norse 'kokkr', Old High German 'coc'). By the 1400s, it was being used for males of other bird species. The verb senses developed later: 'to cock a gun' (1700s) from the hammer position resembling a cock's comb, and 'to cock one's head' (1800s) from the upward tilt of a rooster's head when crowing.