Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “coxcomb” come from?

Coxcomb comes from Middle English cokke, from Old English coc, from Latin coccum, ultimately tracing to Latin coquus meaning cook.

coxcomb (English): The cap of a court jester, adorned with a red...

Definitions

  1. The cap of a court jester, adorned with a red...

Ancestry of “coxcomb”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcokkehaycock, haystack; cockle, shellfish; Alternative...
2Old Englishcocccock, a male bird
3Old Norsekǫkkrclump; lump
4Proto-Germanickukkazcock, rooster, chicken
5Proto-Indo-Europeangēw-to bend, arch

Words derived from “coxcomb”

  • coxcombry
  • coxcombical
  • coxcombly
  • coxcombically
  • coxcombic
  • coxcombicality
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gēw- →