cockscomb

[ koks-kohm ]

/ ˈkɒksˌkoʊm /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR cockscomb ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the comb or caruncle of a cock.

the cap, resembling a cock'scomb, formerly worn by professional fools.

a garden plant, Celosia cristata, of the amaranth family, with flowers, commonly crimson or purple, in a broad spike somewhat resembling the comb of a cock.

any of several other species of the genus Celosia.

an elongate prickleback, Anoplarchus purpurescens, living among submerged rocks along the Pacific coast of North America.

a gaslight burner having four or more jets.

coxcomb(def 1).

Nearby words

cockney bream, cockneyfy, cockneyism, cockpit, cockroach, cockscomb, cocksfoot, cockshot, cockshut, cockshy, cockspur

Origin of cockscomb

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at cock¹, 's¹, comb¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cockscomb

I did not answer, but my face flushed as red as a cockscomb.
My Double Life|Sarah Bernhardt
Getting tired, I took out my sketch-book and drew Lubuga, the pet, which amused the king immensely as he recognised her cockscomb.
The Discovery of the Source of the Nile|John Hanning Speke
There is a row of narrow green pointed leaves, standing up like a cockscomb behind each row of flowers.
Flowers Shown to the Children|C. E. Smith
There was the twist round the head, the cockscomb, the hanging piece of liripipe.
English Costume|Dion Clayton Calthrop

From the shape of the flames this form of burner received the name "cockscomb."
Artificial Light|M. Luckiesh

British Dictionary definitions for cockscomb

cockscomb

coxcomb

/ (ˈkɒksˌkəʊm) /

noun

the comb of a domestic cock

an amaranthaceous garden or pot plant, Celosia cristata, with yellow, crimson, or purple feathery plumelike flowers in a broad spike resembling the comb of a cock

any similar species of Celosia

informal a conceited dandy

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

cockscomb

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of cockscomb

Examples from the Web for cockscomb

British Dictionary definitions for cockscomb

cockscomb

coxcomb

noun