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

The singer embraced the Last Night's party atmosphere, adopting a cockney accent and flower-sellers costume for Wouldn't It Be Loverly, and sporting a spectacular union flag ballgown for Rule, Britannia!

From BBC • Sep. 13, 2025

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

There was a cockney knight called Sir Mdiagrance, who had never been happy at court.

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