coxcomb
NounOpen English WordNet
Noun (3)
- a conceited dandy who is overly impressed by his own accomplishmentsSynonyms: cockscombType of dandy, dude
- a cap worn by court jesters; adorned with a strip of redSynonyms: cockscombType of cap
- the fleshy red crest on the head of the domestic fowl and other gallinaceous birdsSynonyms: combcockscombType of crestPart of gallinaceous bird, gallinacean
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expediteverb
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Cox′comb′ (k?ks′k?m′), noun
Origin: A corrupted spelling of cock's comb.
1. (a) A strip of red cloth notched like the comb of a cock, which licensed jesters formerly wore in their caps. (b) The cap itself.
2. The top of the head, or the head itself.
We will belabor you a little better, And beat a little more care into your coxcombs.— Beau & Fl.
3. A vain, showy fellow; a conceited, silly man, fond of display; a superficial pretender to knowledge or accomplishments; a fop.
Fond to be seen, she kept a bevy Of powdered coxcombs at her levee.— Oliver Goldsmith
Some are bewildered in the maze of schools, And some made coxcombs, nature meant but fools.— Alexander Pope
4. Botany A name given to several plants of different genera, but particularly to Celosia cristata, or garden cockscomb. Same as Cockscomb.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54