cockney

American  

[kok-nee] / ˈkɒk ni /

noun

plural

cockneys

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a native or inhabitant of the East End district of London, England, traditionally, one born and reared within the sound of Bow bells.

2. (sometimes initial capital letter) the pronunciation or dialect of cockneys.

3. Obsolete.

   1. a pampered child.

   2. a squeamish, affected, or effeminate person.

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adjective

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) of or relating to cockneys or their dialect.

cockney British  

/ ˈkɒknɪ /

noun

1. (often capital) a native of London, esp of the working class born in the East End, speaking a characteristic dialect of English. Traditionally defined as someone born within the sound of the bells of St Mary-le-Bow church

2. the urban dialect of London or its East End

3. a young snapper fish

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adjective

1. characteristic of cockneys or their dialect of English

Other Word Forms

• cockneyish adjective
• cockneyishly adverb

Etymology

Origin of cockney

1325–75; Middle English cokeney foolish person, literally, cock's egg (i.e., malformed egg), equivalent to coken, genitive plural of cok cock ¹ + ey, Old English æg; cognate with German Ei, Old Norse egg egg ¹

Example Sentences

Our Gravedigger speaks to us, and to the moon, about her heart’s desire in charming cockney rhyming slang.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

There are a fair number of Irish accents in the mix, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if one of the actors broke out his best cockney.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2025

There is “not false or imitation: real, actual,” as in an authentic cockney accent.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 26, 2023

"I had this idea in my head that cockney is not dead, it's just moved to Essex," she says.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2023

It may have been the Maying, or the compliment which the cockney Knight had paid her, or some premonition such as comes to women before their joy.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White