Etymology

peacock

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Today it means: A male peafowl, especially Pavo cristatus, notable for its brilliant iridescently ocellated tail. Full definition →

Middle English pecok ← Old English cocc ← Proto-West Germanic *kokk
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peacock · noun, verb1

  1. Ancient Greekταώς (taṓs)bor.?
  2. Latinpāvō
  3. Proto-Germanic*pāwô
  4. Proto-West Germanic*pāwō
  5. Old Englishpāwa
  6. Middle Englishpe
  7. Proto-Germanic*keukô
  8. Proto-Germanic*kukkaz
  9. Proto-West Germanic*kokk
  10. Old Englishcocc
  11. Middle Englishcok
  12. Middle Englishpecok
  13. English todaypeacock

From Middle English pecok, pekok, pocok, pacok, first component from Old English pēa, pāwa (“peacock, peafowl”), ultimately from Latin pāvō; equivalent to pea + cock. Compare Old Norse páfugl (“peacock”, literally “peafowl”), and English peahen, peachick, etc.

Peacock · proper noun2

From peacock, a nickname for a vain and conceited person.

Words from the same roots

Old Englishpēa all →

pea

Latinpāvō all →

popeaPavopavonepavonpavoniapavonatedpavonianpavoninepavonite

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.