Refine this word faster

Stronger alternatives Opposite tone Use in context Cross-language nuance

Cockney

adj, name, noun, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    From the East End of London, or London generally. UK, not-comparable
  2. 2
    Alternative form of Cockney. alt-of, alternative, not-comparable
  3. 3
    Of or relating to people from this area or their speech style. not-comparable
Adjective
  1. 1
    relating to or resembling a cockney wordnet
  2. 2
    characteristic of Cockneys or their dialect wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    The dialect or accent of such Londoners.
  2. 2
    Alternative form of Cockney. alt-of, alternative
Noun
  1. 1
    Any Londoner. UK, slang

    "COCKNEY, a native of London. An ancient nickname implying effeminacy, used by the oldest English writers, and derived from the imaginary fool's paradise, or lubberland, Cockaygne."

  2. 2
    A native or inhabitant of parts of the East End of London.

    "A cockney in a rural village was stared at as much as if he had entered a kraal of Hottentots."

  3. 3
    the nonstandard dialect of natives of the east end of London wordnet
  4. 4
    A Londoner born within earshot of the city's Bow Bells, or (now generically) any working-class Londoner. UK

    "Londoners, and all within the sound of Bow Bell, are in reproach called Cockneys."

  5. 5
    An effeminate person; a spoilt child. obsolete

    "A young heir, or cockney, that is his mother's darling[…]"

Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    a native of the east end of London wordnet

Etymology

Etymology 1

First attested in Samuel Rowland's 1600 The Letting of Humours Blood in the Head-Vaine as "a Bowe-bell Cockney", from Middle English cokenay (“a spoiled child; a milksop, an effeminate man”), used in the 16th c. by English country folk as a term of disparagement for city dwellers, of uncertain etymology. Possibly from Middle English cokeney (“a small, misshapen egg”), from coken (“cocks'(rooster’s)”) + ey (“egg”) or from Cockney and Cocknay, variants of Cockaigne, a mythical land of luxury (first attested in 1305) eventually used as a humorous epithet of London. Compare cocker (“to spoil a child”).

Etymology 2

First attested in Samuel Rowland's 1600 The Letting of Humours Blood in the Head-Vaine as "a Bowe-bell Cockney", from Middle English cokenay (“a spoiled child; a milksop, an effeminate man”), used in the 16th c. by English country folk as a term of disparagement for city dwellers, of uncertain etymology. Possibly from Middle English cokeney (“a small, misshapen egg”), from coken (“cocks'(rooster’s)”) + ey (“egg”) or from Cockney and Cocknay, variants of Cockaigne, a mythical land of luxury (first attested in 1305) eventually used as a humorous epithet of London. Compare cocker (“to spoil a child”).

Etymology 3

First attested in Samuel Rowland's 1600 The Letting of Humours Blood in the Head-Vaine as "a Bowe-bell Cockney", from Middle English cokenay (“a spoiled child; a milksop, an effeminate man”), used in the 16th c. by English country folk as a term of disparagement for city dwellers, of uncertain etymology. Possibly from Middle English cokeney (“a small, misshapen egg”), from coken (“cocks'(rooster’s)”) + ey (“egg”) or from Cockney and Cocknay, variants of Cockaigne, a mythical land of luxury (first attested in 1305) eventually used as a humorous epithet of London. Compare cocker (“to spoil a child”).

Etymology 4

See Cockney.

Etymology 5

See Cockney.

Etymology 6

See Cockney.

See also for "cockney"

Synonyms Antonyms Rhymes Sentences Translate Word Type Pronunciation Word Forms

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciation

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: cockney