cockle

[ kok-uhl ]

/ ˈkɒk əl /

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See synonyms for: cockle / cockled on Thesaurus.com

noun

any bivalve mollusk of the genus Cardium, having somewhat heart-shaped, radially ribbed valves, especially C. edule, the common edible species of Europe.

any of various allied or similar mollusks.

cockleshell (defs. 1, 2).

a wrinkle; pucker: a cockle in fabric.

a small, crisp candy of sugar and flour, bearing a motto.

verb (used without object), cock·led, cock·ling.

to contract into wrinkles; pucker: This paper cockles easily.

to rise in short, irregular waves; ripple: The waves cockled along the shore.

verb (used with object), cock·led, cock·ling.

to cause to wrinkle, pucker, or ripple: The wind cockled the water.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about cockle

cockles of one's heart, the depths of one's emotions or feelings: The happy family scene warmed the cockles of his heart.

Origin of cockle

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English cokel, cokil(le), from Old French coquille, “shell, shell of a mollusk, mollusk,” from Vulgar Latin cocchīlia (unattested), from Latin conchylia, plural of conchȳlium, from Greek konchȳ́lion, equivalent to konchȳ́l(ē) “mussel, cockle” + -ion diminutive suffix; compare Old English -cocc in sǣ-cocc literally, “sea-cockle” from Vulgar Latin coccus (unattested) for Latin concha conch

Words nearby cockle

cockfight chair, cockhorse, cockieleekie, cockiness, cockish, cockle, cockleboat, cocklebur, cockleert, cockler, cockleshell

Other definitions for cockle (2 of 2)

cockle²

[ kok-uhl ]

/ ˈkɒk əl /

noun

a weed, as the darnel Lolium temulentum, or rye grass, L. perenne.

Origin of cockle

First recordedbefore 1000; Middle English cok(k)el, Old English coccel; further origin uncertain; perhaps from Late Latin cocculus (unattested), diminutive of coccus “berry, seed” (see coccus)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cockle in a sentence

A collection of fossilized cockle shells, each with a natural hole in the top, perfect for stringing into a necklace “or some other intention,” was found fused into the floor of a cave overlooking Cartagena Harbor in Spain.
The human history found inside a seashell|Katharine Norbury|July 30, 2021|Washington Post
We naturally wish to identify all the national dishes; so, "Is this cockle soup, Susanna?"
Penelope's Experiences in Scotland|Kate Douglas Wiggin
They loved to bind his forehead with the cockle shells that decked their own tresses.
Honey-Bee|Anatole France
But in Shakespeare's time Darnel, like Cockle (which see), was the general name for any hurtful weed.
The plant-lore and garden-craft of Shakespeare|Henry Nicholson Ellacombe

It was the wildest and coldest season of the year, and the vessels in which the attempt was to be made were mere cockle-shells.
The Ontario Readers: Fourth Book|Various
Twelve cockle-shells and a halfpenny china figure were ranged solemnly along the mantel-shelf.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. XXII (of 25)|Robert Louis Stevenson

British Dictionary definitions for cockle (1 of 2)

cockle¹

/ (ˈkɒkəl) /

noun

any sand-burrowing bivalve mollusc of the family Cardiidae, esp Cardium edule (edible cockle) of Europe, typically having a rounded shell with radiating ribs

any of certain similar or related molluscs

short for cockleshell (def. 1)

a wrinkle or puckering, as in cloth or paper

a small furnace or stove

cockles of one's heart one's deepest feelings (esp in the phrase warm the cockles of one's heart)

verb

to contract or cause to contract into wrinkles

Word Origin for cockle

C14: from Old French coquille shell, from Latin conchӯlium shellfish, from Greek konkhulion, diminutive of konkhule mussel; see conch

British Dictionary definitions for cockle (2 of 2)

cockle²

/ (ˈkɒkəl) /

noun

any of several plants, esp the corn cockle, that grow as weeds in cornfields

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

cockle

Idioms about cockle

Origin of cockle

Words nearby cockle

Other definitions for cockle (2 of 2)

Origin of cockle

Words related to cockle

How to use cockle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cockle (1 of 2)

Word Origin for cockle

British Dictionary definitions for cockle (2 of 2)