Meanings
nounbawcock (plural bawcocks)
plural bawcocks
- archaicA fine fellow.
The King's a Bawcock, and a Heart of Gold, / a Lad of Life, an Impe of Fame, / of Parents good, of Fist most valiant:
1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]1 more example
Abate thy rage, abate thy manly rage; / Abate thy rage, great duke. / Good bawcock, bate thy rage. Use lenity, sweet chuck.
1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]
Origin
- Old Frenchbaud“bold, gay”
- Englishbawcock
From Old French baud (“bold, gay”) + cock.
More words from Old French
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
bawcock. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bawcock
MLA
“bawcock.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bawcock. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bawcock,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bawcock.
Source: bawcock on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.