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, especially Pavo cristatus, notable for its brilliant iridescently ocellated tail.
2. A peafowl (of the genus Pavo or Afropavo), either male or female.
3. A vainglorious person [from the 14th c.].
4. (entomology) Any of various Asian species of papilionid butterflies of the genus Papilio.

• peafowl (ornithology)

• 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