shuttlecock

[ shuht-l-kok ]

noun

1. Also called shuttle. the object that is struck back and forth in badminton and battledore, consisting of a feathered cork head and a plastic crown.
2. the game of battledore.

verb (used with object)

1. to send or bandy to and fro like a shuttlecock.

verb (used without object)

1. to move or be bandied to and fro.

adjective

1. of such a state or condition:

   a shuttlecock existence.

shuttlecock

/ ˈʃʌtəlˌkɒk /

noun

1. a light cone consisting of a cork stub with feathered flights, struck to and fro in badminton and battledore Often shortened toshuttle
2. anything moved to and fro, as in an argument

verb

1. to move or cause to move to and fro, like a shuttlecock

Word History and Origins

Origin of shuttlecock¹

First recorded in 1515–25; shuttle + cock ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of shuttlecock¹

C16: from shuttle + cock ¹

Example Sentences

The Mile High dinner series is just one of many events the cousins throw under their umbrella company, Shuttlecock Inc.

From The Daily Beast

The difference is that instead of racquet and ball, battledore and shuttlecock are used.

From Project Gutenberg

Her mind had vacillated like a shuttlecock, but no one had seen the vacillation.

From Project Gutenberg

I am tired of going death-hunting, and not fool enough to play a game of shuttlecock with a lump of gold.

From Project Gutenberg

Once more Palestine became a shuttlecock between the kingdoms of the Nile and the Euphrates.

From Project Gutenberg

The shuttlecock of conversation was lightly bandied to and fro across the round table.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Shuttlecock

What is a shuttlecock?

A shuttlecock is the object that’s volleyed back and forth over the net with rackets in the sports of badminton and battledore. It’s not a ball—it consists of a cork head and a feathered cone.

It can also be called a shuttle, birdie, or bird.

The feathered part of the shuttlecock may consist of actual feathers (usually from a goose) or synthetic materials. Traditional shuttlecocks weigh about 5 grams (.18 ounces) and have 16 feathers attached to the top.

The shuttlecock is best-known for its use in badminton, but it is also used in the lesser-known sport of battledore, which is sometimes called battledore and shuttlecock.

The word shuttlecock is sometimes also used in a figurative way to refer to something moved back and forth, or as a verb meaning to move back and forth or send something to and fro—a reference to the way that a shuttlecock is volleyed back and forth.

Example: The movements of the shuttlecock are much different than those of a ball and make badminton a dynamic game. 

Where does shuttlecock come from?

The first records of the word shuttlecock come from the 1500s. The word shuttle—which is used to refer to other objects characterized by back-and-forth movement—derives from the Old English scytel, meaning “dart” or “arrow.” The ending cock is a reference to a bird (likely due to the use of feathers, or to the way that the shuttlecock flies through the air, or both).

The origins of the shuttlecock and the sports in which it’s used are ancient. The game that became known as battledore and shuttlecock has been played for thousands of years, and badminton is believed to have derived from it (via the related Indian sport called poona).

The word battledore in battledore and shuttlecock refers to the racket. But in ancient Europe and Asia, an object similar to what we know as a shuttlecock was kicked or batted back and forth with the hands—rackets and a net were introduced later.

Did you know … ?

What are some synonyms for shuttlecock?

• shuttle
• birdie
• bird

What are some words that share a root or word element with shuttlecock? 

• shuttle
• cock
• battledore and shuttlecock

What are some words that often get used in discussing shuttlecock?

• badminton
• battledore
• cork
• feather
• net
• racket

How is shuttlecock used in real life?

The shuttlecock is best known for its use in badminton. It’s also commonly called a shuttle for short or a birdie.

Just how fast does a shuttlecock travel in game of Badminton any body know? If you guessed 240 KM/h. Then you are right. Good job.

— USA Badminton (@USABadminton) April 23, 2014

With 1% of Earth's air density, Badminton on Mars would be different — a shuttlecock to the face lands you in the hospital.

— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) August 3, 2012

"To be a writer is to be a shuttlecock in a badminton game, one racquet of which is naïve optimism and the other a cynical despair." …

— 👑 OTEP SHAMAYA 👑 (@otepofficial) May 27, 2011

Try using shuttlecock!

True or False? 

All shuttlecocks are made with real feathers.