A cock is:

  • a male bird (a female is a "hen").
    • in particular a male chicken ("rooster or cockerel" if under one year old). Cockfighting is a sport in which two male chickens are made to fight one another. The word rooster for a male chicken arose, especially in the USA, as a euphemism for cock (see slang term on wiktionary).

  • a type of tap, faucet or valve.
    • Steam cock, is a drain valve on a steam engine cylinder.
    • Bib cock, a small type of valve.
    • Sample cock, small valve fitted in brewerys and other process industries to check the product during manufacture.
    • Stop cock to turn off the mains supply of water to a house.

The bracket in horology is called a cock (green)

  • a part of a clock or watch used to support an outrigger bearing for a gear or lever.
    • Balance cock, supports the balance wheel in a watch.
    • Fly cock, supports the fly on a bracket clock.


  • a state of the hammer in a firearm. A gun may be "cocked" in readiness for firng. Origin of the term "going off at half cock" or "going off half cocked" which result in a mis-fire.

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