cod

¹ American  

[kod] / kɒd /

noun

plural

cod,

plural

cods

1. any of several soft-rayed food fishes of the family Gadidae, especially Gadus morhua, of North Atlantic waters.

2. a closely related fish, Gadus macrocephalus, of the North Pacific Ocean.

3. any of several unrelated fishes, as rockfishes of the genus Sebastes.

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cod ² American  

[kod] / kɒd /

noun

1. Slang: Vulgar. testicle.

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COD. ³ American  

Or cod.

abbreviation

1. codex.

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C.O.D. ⁴ American  

Or c.o.d.

abbreviation

Commerce.

1. cash, or collect, on delivery (payment to be made when delivered to the purchaser).

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COD ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. cash on delivery

2. (in the US) collect on delivery

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cod ² British  

/ kɒd /

noun

1. dialect a fellow; chap

   he's a nice old cod

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cod ³ British  

/ kɒd /

verb

1. slang to make fun of; tease

2. slang to play a trick on; fool

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noun

1. slang a hoax or trick

2. slang a fraud; hoaxer

   he's an old cod

adjective

1. slang mock; sham

   cod Latin

Cod ⁴ British  

noun

1. See Cape Cod

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cod ⁵ British  

/ kɒd /

noun

1. any of the gadoid food fishes of the genus Gadus, esp G. morhua (or G. callarias ), which occurs in the North Atlantic and has a long body with three rounded dorsal fins: family Gadidae . They are also a source of cod-liver oil

2. any other fish of the family Gadidae See gadid

3. any of various unrelated Australian fish, such as the Murray cod

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cod ⁶ British  

/ kɒd /

noun

1. dialect a pod or husk

2. an obsolete word for scrotum

3. obsolete a bag or envelope

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COD Cultural  

1. An abbreviation for “cash on delivery” or “collect on delivery.”

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Usage

What does C.O.D. mean? C.O.D. is an abbreviation for cash on delivery, referring to an arrangement in which payment for a purchase is made directly by the purchaser to the person who delivers the item.C.O.D. can also stand for collect on delivery, meaning the same thing. That’s because C.O.D. doesn’t necessarily always mean that actual cash (paper money) is required (though it often used to mean this). Sometimes, a check, money order, or credit card payment will be accepted as C.O.D.C.O.D. can be used as a noun, as in Sorry, we don’t accept C.O.D.s. It can also be used as an adverb, as in We’re shipping it C.O.D.; as an adjective, as in Our C.O.D. orders are behind schedule; and in other variations.Although the term can be spelled without periods, they’re usually included to make it clear that the term is an abbreviation.Example: Most of our shipments are done C.O.D., and we have a high percentage of successful payments.

Etymology

Origin of cod¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English; origin uncertain

Origin of cod²

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English codd; akin to Old Norse koddi “pillow”

Origin of C.O.D.⁴

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60

Example Sentences

Ads introducing the product implied that consumers would have to eat boiled cod to find a comparable protein-to-calorie ratio, and the company reinforced the point by eventually beginning to sell frozen cod filets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers, said many fish and chip shops were now adding alternative fish to their menus to supplement traditional cod and haddock.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

"People don't realise, but cod was not the go-to fish when fish and chip shops started about 160 years ago," he said, revealing that it was dab that first made up a fish supper.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

He also touted cod liver oil as a measles treatment, citing its “high concentrations of vitamin A and vitamin D.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

“You’ll have to force feed her—strong soup and eggs and cod liver oil.”

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck