What does cocking mean?
Cocking is most familiarly the present participle of the verb "cock," meaning to tilt or turn something upward or to one side. People are often described as cocking their heads when listening attentively or puzzled, or cocking an eyebrow in scepticism or amusement. The word also applies to firearms: cocking a gun means drawing back its hammer so that it is ready to fire, a mechanical sense dating from the weapon's earliest history. Less commonly, cocking functions as a noun denoting cockfighting, the contested blood sport in which roosters were pitted against one another; because the practice is banned in much of the world, this sense now appears mostly in historical contexts and carries distinctly negative connotations. The verb itself derives from the noun "cock" — the male bird — whose strutting, head-tilting posture suggested the motion, and the word has since spread figuratively to hats, ears, eyebrows, hammers, and even gestures of defiance such as cocking a snook.
The practice or sport of cockfighting, in which roosters are made to fight for spectators' entertainment.
"Cocking was outlawed throughout Britain in the nineteenth century."
This sense now carries strongly negative connotations due to animal-welfare concerns and legal bans.
To tilt or raise something at an angle, especially the head, an eyebrow, or the brim of a hat; also, to draw back the hammer of a firearm in readiness for firing.
"He paused mid-sentence, cocking an eyebrow at her unexpected remark."
In British slang, to "cock a snook" is to thumb your nose at someone — a gesture so old that its exact origin has been lost for centuries.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cocking
The verb "cock" comes from the Old English and Middle English noun "cok" meaning a male bird or rooster, which itself derives from Proto-Germanic roots shared with Dutch "hahn" cognates such as German "Hahn." The figurative senses — cocking the head like an alert bird, cocking a hat, and cocking a firearm's hammer — developed gradually through Middle and Early Modern English. Related formations from the same root include weathercock, shuttlecock, and haycock, all of which use "cock" metaphorically rather than literally.
Related word forms
How cocking is actually used
The verbal sense is neutral in register and common in everyday description. The noun sense relating to cockfighting carries strong negative connotations in modern usage, as the practice is illegal in many countries. In vulgar British slang, "cocking" can serve as an intensifier, but this is coarse and informal.
Easily confused with cocking
"Coking" refers to converting coal into coke fuel (or to using cocaine), whereas "cocking" means tilting, raising, or arming something.