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• peacock
  peacock

  noun

  the male of the peafowl distinguished by its long, erectile, greenish, iridescent tail coverts that are brilliantly marked with ocellated spots and that can be spread in a fan.
• Peacock
  Peacock

  noun

  Thomas Love, 1785–1866, English poet and novelist.

peacock

¹ American  

[pee-kok] / ˈpiˌkɒk /

noun

• peacocks,
  plural
• peacock
  plural

1. the male of the peafowl distinguished by its long, erectile, greenish, iridescent tail coverts that are brilliantly marked with ocellated spots and that can be spread in a fan.

2. any peafowl.

3. a vain, self-conscious person.

4. Astronomy. Peacock, the constellation Pavo.

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verb (used without object)

• peacocks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• peacocked,
  past participle,  past
• peacocking
  present participle

1. to make a vainglorious display; strut like a peacock.

Peacock ² American  

[pee-kok] / ˈpiˌkɒk /

noun

1. Thomas Love, 1785–1866, English poet and novelist.

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peacock ¹ British  

/ ˈpiːˌkɒk /

noun

1. a male peafowl, having a crested head and a very large fanlike tail marked with blue and green eyelike spots

2. another name for peafowl

3. a vain strutting person

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verb

1. to display (oneself) proudly

2. obsolete to acquire (the best pieces of land) in such a way that the surrounding land is useless to others

Peacock ² British  

/ ˈpiːˌkɒk /

noun

1. Thomas Love. 1785–1866, English novelist and poet, noted for his satirical romances, including Headlong Hall (1816) and Nightmare Abbey (1818)

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peacock Idioms  

1. see proud as a peacock.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• peacockery
  noun
• peacockishness
  noun
• peacockism
  noun
• peahen
  noun
• peacockish
  adjective
• peacocky
  adjective
• peacockishly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• peacock
  plural
• peacocks
  plural

Participles

• peacocking
  present
• peacocked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• peacock
  simple
• peacocks
  simple
• have peacocked
  perfect
• has peacocked
  perfect
• am peacocking
  progressive
• are peacocking
  progressive
• is peacocking
  progressive
• have been peacocking
  perfect progressive
• has been peacocking
  perfect progressive

Past

• peacocked
  simple
• had peacocked
  perfect
• was peacocking
  progressive
• were peacocking
  progressive
• had been peacocking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will peacock
  simple
• will have peacocked
  perfect
• will be peacocking
  progressive
• will have been peacocking
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of peacock

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English pecok, pocok equivalent to pe- ( Old English pēa “peafowl,” from Latin pāvōn-, stem of pavō peacock ( def. ) ) + cok ( Old English coc cock ¹ )

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Explanation

A peacock is a shiny blue bird who fans out his large colorful iridescent tail feathers, especially when he’s flirting with the peahens. A peacock is a male peafowl. A male peacock is more flamboyant than his female counterpart — he’s the one with those long brilliant tail feathers marked with eye-like designs. If a man (a human!) dresses overly flashy, he’s “peacocking.” The writer Flannery O’ Connor was famous for having peacocks strut around her farm in Georgia. Peacocks also have a loud call that sounds almost like a human cry. The word peacock has many etymological influences, and it may ultimately come from the Tamil tokei.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

peacock Peacock peacocks peacocked peacocking

The en suite bathroom is as flamboyant as they come, with stars, peacock feathers, and graphic prints painted across the ceiling, purple walls, and double vanity.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

The peacock was well known in the neighborhood where it lived for years, and some residents had come to call him Sugar.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

He doesn’t peacock, he doesn’t preen; he is visibly angry with himself when he doesn’t produce.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Farmer Tom believed the peacock was asserting his dominance and despite the bird running riot on his land, he was able to capture it and get it safely in a pen.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026

It was pale green silk, with an arrangement of peacock feathers extending upward from the brim.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

This year’s telecast on NBC and Peacock was watched by 6.7 million viewers, according to Nielsen, down nearly 10% from the year before.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

The Super Bowl was broadcast on NBC, Telemundo and Peacock in 2026.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

The ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles hosted by “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” star Mariska Hargitay scored the third-smallest audience ever for an Emmy telecast.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Stars walked a blue version of the traditional red carpet ahead of the Emmy Awards ceremony, which will be broadcast live from the Peacock Theater.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

I wanted to seem like someone destined to perform as the Peacock in The Nutcracker.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

“The house was small, so we built onto it to add a kitchen. We use the barns as a sanctuary for rescued horses, ducks, chickens, peacocks, goats, and other animals,” she went on.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

To get a sense of the topography, walk 10 minutes from the center of town up to the Citadelle, a fortress where peacocks roam and you’ll have panoramic views over the Gulf of St. Tropez.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

On the course, elaborate tombs of the city's past rulers poke through tangled trees that are home to peacocks, troops of monkeys and mongooses.

From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2025

Gandhi said that peacocks are not typically used for fighting but that there is real reason to be worried for their welfare.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2025

But we live on his farm now, and if I have to live on a farm, I think it ought to be an interesting one, with chickens and ducks and maybe some peacocks or something.

From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones

In a choreographic sequence during the final seconds of his program, Malinin peacocked to the fans—and judges—with the kind of daring maneuver that’s more common on snow than ice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 10, 2026

Ultimately, “banter” is nothing more than a buzzword, the 2024 answer to the “sapiosexual” craze where online daters peacocked their degrees by designating their sexual preference as “intellectuals.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2024

Charles’s coronation was a full-color spectacle, showing off the peacocked glory of British tradition and the bells and whistles of 21st-century TV.

From New York Times ● May 6, 2023

Nothing about the way that pair peacocked their way around Augusta National Golf Club during Saturday’s third round indicated they have any intention of allowing those behind them in on their personal tournament.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 7, 2018

Then it was that Robin must have become owner of the peacocked arrow.

From Robin Hood by N. C. (Newell Convers) Wyeth

Although the term is clinically obsolete, examples of male peacocking are as close as the nearest bejeweled Patek Philippe, sterling-silver rodeo belt buckle or jumped-up, gold-plated pickup.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

He gives the example of going out for a meal in Lagos and how peacocking is so important.

From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2025

It was a novel turn for an artist venerated for his dexterity, his peacocking, his exuberance, his progressivism.

From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2024

There is a boastfulness and peacocking at times.

From Salon ● Jan. 25, 2023

Why should I want my cook to go peacocking about with a pink parasol, making a fool of herself, and bringing disgrace on the house?

From If Winter Don't A B C D E F Notsomuchinson by Barry Pain

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