Coccobacterium noun ; plural Coccobacteria . [ New Latin , from Greek ... a grain + New Latin bacterium . So called from its round shape.] (Biol.) One of the round variety of bacteria, a vegetable organism, generally less than a thousandth of a millimeter in diameter.

Coccolite noun [ Greek ... a grain, seed + -lite : confer French coccalite .] (Min.) A granular variety of pyroxene, green or white in color.

Coccolith noun [ Greek ... a grain, seed + -lith .] (Biol.) One of a kind of minute, calcareous bodies, probably vegetable, often abundant in deep-sea mud.

Coccosphere noun [ Greek ... a grain, seed + English sphere .] (Biol.) A small, rounded, marine organism, capable of braking up into coccoliths.

Coccosteus noun [ New Latin , from Greek ... grain, seed + ... bone.] (Paleon.) An extinct genus of Devonian ganoid fishes, having the broad plates about the head studded with berrylike tubercles.

Cocculus Indicus noun [ New Latin cocculus (dim. of Latin coccum kermes berry) + Latin Indicus of India.] (Botany) The fruit or berry of the Anamirta Cocculus , a climbing plant of the East Indies. It is a poisonous narcotic and stimulant.

Coccus noun ; plural Cocci . [ New Latin , from Greek ... grain, seed. See Cochineal .]
1. (Botany) One of the separable carpels of a dry fruit.

2. (Zoology) A genus of hemipterous insects, including scale insects, and the cochineal insect ( Coccus cacti ).

3. (Biol.) A form of bacteria, shaped like a globule.

Coccygeal adjective (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the coccyx; as, the coccygeal vertebræ.

Coccygeal glands (Zoology) , glands situated at the base of the tail of birds. They secrete the oil with which the plumage is dressed.

Coccygeous adjective Coccygeal. [ R.]

Coccyx noun ; plural Latin Coccyges . [ Latin , cuckoo, Greek ..., cuckoo, coccyx. So called from its resemblance to the beak of a cuckoo.] (Anat.) The end of the vertebral column beyond the sacrum in man and tailless monkeys. It is composed of several vertebræ more or less consolidated.

Cochin fowl (Zoology) A large variety of the domestic fowl, originally from Cochin China (Anam).

Cochineal (kŏch"ĭ*nēl; 277), [ Spanish cochinilla , dim. from Latin coccineus , coccinus , scarlet, from coccum the kermes berry, German ko`kkos berry, especially the kermes insect, used to dye scarlet, as the cochineal was formerly supposed to be the grain or seed of a plant, and this word was formerly defined to be the grain of the Quercus coccifera ; but confer also Spanish cochinilla wood louse, dim. of cochina sow, akin to French cochon pig.] A dyestuff consisting of the dried bodies of females of the Coccus cacti , an insect native in Mexico, Central America, etc., and found on several species of cactus, esp. Opuntia cochinellifera .

» These insects are gathered from the plant, killed by the application of heat, and exposed to the sun to dry. When dried they resemble small, rough berries or seeds, of a brown or purple color, and form the cochineal of the shops, which is used for making carmine, and also as a red dye.

» Cochineal contains as its essential coloring matter carminic acid , a purple red amorphous substance which yields carmine red .

Cochineal fig (Botany) A plant of Central and Southern America, of the Cactus family, extensively cultivated for the sake of the cochineal insect, which lives on it.

Cochlea (kŏk"le*ȧ) noun [ Latin , a snail, or snail shell, Greek kochli`as a snail, from ko`chlos a shellfish with a spiral shell.] (Anat.) An appendage of the labyrinth of the internal ear, which is elongated and coiled into a spiral in mammals. See Ear .

Cochlear adjective (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the cochlea.

Cochleare noun [ Latin ]
1. A spoon. Andrews.

2. (Med) A spoonful. Dungleson.

Cochleariform adjective [ Cochleare + -form .] Spoon-shaped.

Cochleary adjective [ Latin cochlearum penfor snails (meaning formerly given, snail shell ). See Cjchlea .] Same as Cochleate .

Cochleate, Cochleated adjective [ Latin cochleatus spiral or screw- formed. See Cochlea .] Having the form of a snail shell; spiral; turbinated.

Cock noun [ Anglo-Saxon coc ; of unknown origin, perhaps in imitation of the cry of the cock. Confer Chicken .]
1. The male of birds, particularly of gallinaceous or domestic fowls.

2. A vane in the shape of a cock; a weathercock.

Drenched our steeples, drowned the cocks !
Shak.

3. A chief man; a leader or master. [ Humorous]

Sir Andrew is the cock of the club, since he left us.
Addison.

4. The crow of a cock, esp. the first crow in the morning; cockcrow. [ Obsolete]

He begins at curfew, and walks till the first cock .
Shak.

5. A faucet or valve.

» Jonsons says, "The handle probably had a cock on the top; things that were contrived to turn seem anciently to have had that form, whatever was the reason." Skinner says, because it used to be constructed in forma critæ galli , i.e., in the form of a cock's comb.

6. The style of gnomon of a dial. Chambers.

7. The indicator of a balance. Johnson.

8. The bridge piece which affords a bearing for the pivot of a balance in a clock or watch. Knight.

Ball cock . See under Ball . - - Chaparral cock . See under Chaparral . -- Cock and bull story , an extravagant , boastful story; a canard. -- Cock of the plains (Zoology) See Sage cock . -- Cock of the rock (Zoology) , a South American bird ( Rupicola aurantia ) having a beautiful crest. -- Cock of the walk , a chief or master; the hero of the hour; one who has overcrowed, or got the better of, rivals or competitors. -- Cock of the woods . See Capercailzie .

Cock (kŏk) transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Cocked (kŏkt); present participle & verbal noun Cocking .] [ Confer Gael. coc to cock.]
1. To set erect; to turn up.

Our Lightfoot barks, and cocks his ears.
Gay.

Dick would cock his nose in scorn.
Swift.

2. To shape, as a hat, by turning up the brim.

3. To set on one side in a pert or jaunty manner.

They cocked their hats in each other's faces.
Macaulay.

4. To turn (the eye) obliquely and partially close its lid, as an expression of derision or insinuation.

Cocked hat . (a) A hat with large, stiff flaps turned up to a peaked crown, thus making its form triangular; -- called also three-cornered hat . (b) A game similar to ninepins, except that only three pins are used, which are set up at the angles of a triangle.

Cock intransitive verb To strut; to swagger; to look big, pert, or menacing. Addison.

Cock noun The act of cocking; also, the turn so given; as, a cock of the eyes; to give a hat a saucy cock .

Cock noun [ Italian cocca notch of an arrow.]
1. The notch of an arrow or crossbow.

2. The hammer in the lock of a firearm.

At cock , At full cock , with the hammer raised and ready to fire; -- said of firearms, also, jocularly, of one prepared for instant action. -- At half cock . See under Half . -- Cock feather (Archery) , the feather of an arrow at right angles to the direction of the cock or notch. Nares.

Cock transitive verb To draw the hammer of (a firearm) fully back and set it for firing.

Cock intransitive verb To draw back the hammer of a firearm, and set it for firing.

Cocked , fired, and missed his man.
Byron.

Cock noun [ Confer Icelandic kökkr lump, Danish kok heap, or English cock to set erect.] A small concial pile of hay.

Cock transitive verb To put into cocks or heaps, as hay.

Under the cocked hay.
Spenser.

Cock noun [ Of. coque , French coche , a small vessel, Latin concha muscle shell, a vessel. See Coach , and confer Cog a small boat.] A small boat.

Yond tall anchoring bark [ appears]
Diminished to her cock ; her cock , a buoy
Almost too small for sight.
Shak.

Cock noun A corruption or disguise of the word God , used in oaths. [ Obsolete] "By cock and pie." Shak.

Cock-a-hoop adjective Boastful; defiant; exulting. Also used adverbially.

Cock-brained adjective Giddy; rash. Milton.

Cockade (kŏk*ād") noun [ French cocarble , from coquard vain, Old French coquart , from coq cock, probably of imitative origin. The ornament is so named from its resemblance to the crest of a cock. Confer Coquette .] A badge, usually in the form of a rosette, or knot, and generally worn upon the hat; -- used as an indication of military or naval service, or party allegiance, and in England as a part of the livery to indicate that the wearer is the servant of a military or naval officer.

Seduced by military liveries and cockades .
Burke.

Cockaded (-ā"dĕd) adjective Wearing a cockade. Young.

Cockal (kŏk" a l) noun [ Etymol. uncertain.]
1. A game played with sheep's bones instead of dice [ Obsolete]

2. The bone used in playing the game; -- called also huckle bone . [ Obsolete] Nares.

A little transverse bone
Which boys and bruckeled children call
(Playing for points and pins) cockal .
Herrick.

Cockaleekie (kŏk`ȧ*lē"kĭ) noun [ From cock + leek .] A favorite soup in Scotland, made from a capon highly seasoned, and boiled with leeks and prunes.

Cockamaroo noun The Russian variety of bagatelle.

Cockateel (kŏk`ȧ*tēl") noun (Zoology) An Australian parrot ( Calopsitta Novæ-Hollandiæ ); -- so called from its note.

Cockatoo (kŏk`ȧ*tō") noun [ Malayan kakatūa .] (Zoology) A bird of the Parrot family, of the subfamily Cacatuinæ , having a short, strong, and much curved beak, and the head ornamented with a crest, which can be raised or depressed at will. There are several genera and many species; as the broad-crested ( Plictolophus, or Cacatua, cristatus ), the sulphur-crested ( P. galeritus ), etc. The palm or great black cockatoo of Australia is Microglossus aterrimus .

Cockatrice (-trīs; 277) noun [ Old French cocatrice crocodile, French cocatrix , cocatrice . The word is a corruption from the same source as English crocodile , but was confused with cock the bird, French coq , whence arose the fable that the animal was produced from a cock's egg. See Crocodile .]

1. A fabulous serpent whose breath and look were said to be fatal. See Basilisk .

That bare vowel, I, shall poison more
Than the death-darting eye of cockatrice .
Shak.

2. (Her.) A representation of this serpent. It has the head, wings, and legs of a bird, and tail of a serpent.

3. (Script.) A venomous serpent which which cannot now be identified.

The weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's [ Rev. Ver. basilisk's ] den.
Is. xi. 8.

4. Any venomous or deadly thing.

This little cockatrice of a king.
Bacon.

Cockbill (kŏk"bĭl`) transitive verb [ See Cock to set erect.] (Nautical) To tilt up one end of so as to make almost vertical; as, to cockbill the yards as a sign of mourning.

To cockbill the anchor , to suspend it from the cathead preparatory to letting it go. See Acockbill .

Cockboat noun [ See Cock a boat.] A small boat, esp. one used on rivers or near the shore.

Cockchafer noun [ See Chafer the beetle.] (Zoology) A beetle of the genus Melolontha (esp. M. vulgaris ) and allied genera; -- called also May bug , chafer , or dorbeetle .

Cockcrow, Cockcrowing noun The time at which cocks first crow; the early morning.

Cocker transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Cockered ; present participle & verbal noun Cockering .] [ Middle English cokeren ; confer W. cocru to indulge, fondle, English cock the bird, French coqueliner to dandle (Cotgrave), to imitate the crow of a cock, to run after the girls, and English cockle , v.] To treat with too great tenderness; to fondle; to indulge; to pamper.

Cocker thy child and he shall make thee afraid.
Ecclesiasticus xxx. 9.

Poor folks cannot afford to cocker themselves up.
J. Ingelow.

Cocker noun [ From Cock the bird.]
1. One given to cockfighting. [ Obsolete] Steele.

2. (Zoology) A small dog of the spaniel kind, used for starting up woodcocks, etc.

Cocker noun [ Middle English coker qyiver, boot, Anglo-Saxon cocer quiver; akin to German köcher quiver, and perhaps originally meaning receptacle , holder . Confer Quiver (for arrows).] A rustic high shoe or half-boots. [ Obsolete] Drayton.

Cocker spaniel One of a breed of small or medium- sized spaniels kept for hunting or retrieving game or for household pets. They usually weigh from eighteen to twenty-eight pounds. They have the head of fair length, with square muzzle, the ears long and set low, the legs short or of medium length, and the coat fine and silky, wavy but not curly. Various colors are bred, as black, liver, red, black and white, black and tan, etc.

Cockerel noun [ Prob. a double dim. of cock .] A young cock.