What does cockerel mean?
A cockerel is a young male domestic chicken, generally one that has not yet reached full maturity — typically under a year old. The term is used most often in British English, where it is the natural word for an immature male bird on a farm or in a backyard flock; American speakers more commonly say rooster or cock regardless of age. Cockerels are known for their bright plumage and their early, often patchy attempts at crowing before the full-throated call of adulthood develops. The word carries distinctly rural, farmyard connotations and appears frequently in writing about country life, poultry keeping, and traditional farming scenes. It is also encountered in culinary contexts, particularly in older British recipes, where a cockerel may be prepared as table birds once were. Distinguishing the cockerel from the hen, its female counterpart, is one of the first facts children learn about farm animals, giving the word a familiar, almost storybook quality.
nounA young male domestic chicken, typically less than a year old and not yet fully mature.
- A young male domestic chicken, usually under a year old.
"The young cockerel strutted across the farmyard, practising his first attempts at crowing."
"The neighbours complained when the cockerel began crowing before dawn."
"At the agricultural show, a prize cockerel with glossy bronze plumage took first place."
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple young male chickens.
"The market stall was crowded with noisy cockerels awaiting buyers."
In France, the Gallic rooster is a national emblem — and a cockerel is simply its adolescent self, still learning to crow.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cockerel
Cockerel entered Middle English in the medieval period, formed from cock — the long-established English word for a male bird — combined with the Old French diminutive suffix -erel, which also appears in words like doggerel. The underlying element traces back through Old French coc to a Germanic root, making cockerel a Romance-dressed descendant of a Germanic word. Its relatives include cockcrow, weathercock, and the heraldic cockade, all built on the same base.
How cockerel is actually used
Chiefly British English; in American English 'rooster' is the everyday term for a male chicken of any age. The word carries rustic, farmyard connotations and is neutral in tone.
Easily confused with cockerel
Rooster is the standard American English term for an adult male chicken, while cockerel specifically denotes a young male chicken and is more common in British English.
Cock refers to any male chicken regardless of age, whereas a cockerel is by definition young and immature.