Pea|cock

pea|cock «PEE _KOK», noun, plural -cocks or (collectively) -cock, verb.

–n.

1. a large bird with beautiful green, blue, and gold feathers and a splendid train. The tail coverts of the male have spots like eyes on them and can be spread out and held upright like a fan. The peacock lives in Asia and Africa, nests on the ground, and can fly only short distances.

2. any male peacock, especially as contrasted with the peahen.

3. Figurative. a person who is vain and fond of showing off.

–v.i.

to strut like a peacock; make a conceited display; pose.

–v.t.

1. to cause to strut or pose like a peacock; make vain.

2. Australian Slang. to pick out the choicest piece of land, so that the adjoining land loses its value to anyone else.

╂[Middle English pekok, also pakock < Old English pēa, pāwa a peafowl of either sex (< Latin pāvō, -ōnis) + cocc cock¹]

–pea´cock´like, adjective.

Pea|cock «PEE _KOK», noun.

the constellation Pavo.