peacock

From Middle English pecok, pekok, pocok, pacok, equivalent to pea (“peafowl; peacock”) +‎ cock. Compare Old Norse páfugl (“peacock”, literally “pea-fowl”), and English peahen, peachick, etc.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpikɑk/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpiːkɒk/

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peacock (plural peacocks)

1. A male peafowl with brilliant blue or green iridescent tails.
2. A peafowl, either male or female.
3. A vainglorious person [14th c.]
4. A male or female pheasant of the two genera: Pavo or Afropavo, whose males have extravagant tails.

• peafowl (rare)

• peachick (“young peafowl”)
• peacock (“male peafowl”)
• peahen (“female peafowl”)

• → Hawaiian: pīkake
  • → English: pikake

peacock (third-person singular simple present peacocks, present participle peacocking, simple past and past participle peacocked)

1. (intransitive) To strut about proudly.
2. (intransitive) To engage in peacocking, ostentatious dress or behaviour to impress women.

• pajock