cockscomb

[koks-kohm]

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

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

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

Word Origin and History for cockscomb

cockscomb

c.1400, "comb or crest of a cock," from possessive of cock (n.1) + comb (n.). Meaning "cap worn by a professional fool" is from 1560s; hence "conceited fool" (1560s), a sense passing into the derivative coxcomb. As a plant name, from 1570s.

cockscomb

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of cockscomb

Examples from the Web for cockscomb

cockscomb

coxcomb

noun

cockscomb