full cock
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of full cock
First recorded in 1740–50
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.
“The only conceivable alternative to the foregoing would be a situation in which the trigger was already pulled or held rearward while retracting the hammer to its full cock position.”
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 15, 2023
With the hammer in full cock position, the FBI report stated the gun could not be made to fire without pulling the trigger while the working internal components were intact and functional.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 15, 2022
“Alright it’s on the charge. Ready to fire. Put it on full cock and we’ll go,” he said.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 18, 2020
Under no circumstances will a member be suffered to sit with his blunderbuss at full cock, nor pointed at the President's ear.
From Ireland as It Is And as It Would be Under Home Rule by Buckley, Robert John
On the very edge of the pool he again stopped and listened, holding his pistol at full cock.
From The Brothers-In-Law: A Tale Of The Equatorial Islands; and The Brass Gun Of The Buccaneers 1901 by Becke, Louis
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.
