peacock

¹ American  

[pee-kok] / ˈpiˌkɒk /

noun

plural

peacocks,

plural

peacock

1. the male of the peafowl distinguished by its long, erectile, greenish, iridescent tail coverts that are brilliantly marked with ocellated spots and that can be spread in a fan.

2. any peafowl.

3. a vain, self-conscious person.

4. Astronomy. Peacock, the constellation Pavo.

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verb (used without object)

1. to make a vainglorious display; strut like a peacock.

Peacock ² American  

[pee-kok] / ˈpiˌkɒk /

noun

1. Thomas Love, 1785–1866, English poet and novelist.

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peacock ¹ British  

/ ˈpiːˌkɒk /

noun

1. a male peafowl, having a crested head and a very large fanlike tail marked with blue and green eyelike spots

2. another name for peafowl

3. a vain strutting person

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verb

1. to display (oneself) proudly

2. obsolete to acquire (the best pieces of land) in such a way that the surrounding land is useless to others

Peacock ² British  

/ ˈpiːˌkɒk /

noun

1. Thomas Love. 1785–1866, English novelist and poet, noted for his satirical romances, including Headlong Hall (1816) and Nightmare Abbey (1818)

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peacock Idioms  

1. see proud as a peacock.

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Other Word Forms

• peacockery noun
• peacockish adjective
• peacockishly adverb
• peacockishness noun
• peacockism noun
• peacocky adjective
• peahen noun

Etymology

Origin of peacock

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English pecok, pocok equivalent to pe- ( Old English pēa “peafowl,” from Latin pāvōn-, stem of pavō peacock ( def. ) ) + cok ( Old English coc cock ¹ )

Explanation

A peacock is a shiny blue bird who fans out his large colorful iridescent tail feathers, especially when he’s flirting with the peahens. A peacock is a male peafowl. A male peacock is more flamboyant than his female counterpart — he’s the one with those long brilliant tail feathers marked with eye-like designs. If a man (a human!) dresses overly flashy, he’s “peacocking.” The writer Flannery O’ Connor was famous for having peacocks strut around her farm in Georgia. Peacocks also have a loud call that sounds almost like a human cry. The word peacock has many etymological influences, and it may ultimately come from the Tamil tokei.

Example Sentences

As if to underline the point, he wore a medallion around his neck featuring NBC’s peacock logo.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

Fish such as wolf fish, peacock bass, and South American lungfish were especially common, accompanied by reptiles including caimans and turtles, and mammals such as capybaras, pacas, and armadillos.

From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2025

She is worried the peacock "won't survive in the winter as it is too open and we have foxes and it will be horrific".

From BBC • Jul. 26, 2025

Goorwitch in particular is mourning the absence of his favorite peacock, Alibaba, who had a fabulous fan of tail feathers and was not afraid to flaunt them.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2025

Like now, the way she was marching ahead as if she were going into battle, one long peacock feather flying proudly from her prim dark bonnet like a flag.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• bluster
• gloat
• prance
• sashay
• saunter
• strut