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cocker

1 American  
[kok-er] / ˈkɒk ər /

noun

  1. cocker spaniel.

cocker 2 American  
[kok-er] / ˈkɒk ər /

noun

  1. a person who promotes or patronizes cockfights.

cocker 3 American  
[kok-er] / ˈkɒk ər /

verb (used with object)

  1. to pamper.

    to cocker a child.
cocker 1 British  
/ ˈkɒkə /

noun

  1. a devotee of cockfighting

  2. short for cocker spaniel

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
cocker 2 British  
/ ˈkɒkə /

verb

  1. rare (tr) to pamper or spoil by indulgence

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. informal a mate (esp in the phrase old cocker )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cocker 3 British  
/ ˈkɒkə /

noun

  1. reliable or reliably; correct or correctly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cocker1

First recorded in 1790–1800; extended sense of cocker 2 ( def. )

Origin of cocker2

First recorded in 1650–60; (game)cock + -er 1, that is, gamecock fancier

Origin of cocker3

First recorded in 1400–1450; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Doc Holliday, 8, a black-and-white English cocker, passed from this life into the next a week ago Tuesday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

Mamaradlo breeds cocker spaniels that live with her when they’re not “working.”

From Salon • Aug. 18, 2025

Sherlock, a cocker spaniel, attended the Grenfell Tower fire and met royalty during his 12 years of service.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2025

She and Davis have flaunted their love on Instagram with Valentine’s Day posts and photo shoots with her cocker spaniel Harley.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2024

“And this is Silas,” she tells him, pointing to a reddish brown cocker spaniel dozing under the table.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.