▪ I. cocked, ppl. a.1
(kɒkt)
[f. cock v.1 + -ed1.]
1. a. Set erect; having a pronounced upward turn.
| 1647 H. More Song of Soul i. ii. xxxviii, A Yongster gent With bever cock't, and arm set on one side. 1691 The Weesils ii. 7 His Wife too, in her Cock'd Comode well drest. 1710 Lond. Gaz. No. 4674/8 A brown bay Gelding..has..a large broom Tail cock'd, Trots all. 1826 Miss Mitford Village Ser. ii. (1863) 281 A wide mouth and a cocked-up nose. |
b. (See quots.)
| 1889 F. M. Halford Dry-Fly Fishing ii. 36 A floating fly..cocked, or, in other words, floating with the wings up. Ibid. 43 Floating a cocked fly over a likely place. 1961 J. S. Salak Dict. Amer. Sports 90 When an artificial fly lands on the water in an upright position (i.e., with body more or less horizontal to the water), it is said to be ‘cocked’. |
▪ II. cocked, ppl. a.2
(kɒkt)
[f. cock v.2 + -ed1.]
1. † a. Of a match: Placed in the cock. b. Of a fire-arm: With the cock drawn back, ready for firing when the trigger is pulled.
| 1650 Howell Masaniello i. 27 Furnished Swords, cock'd Muschets. 1678 tr. Gaya's Art War II. 46 Presenting the..Musket with a cock'd Match. 1733 Derby Mercury II. No. 21 Getting through a Hedge with his Piece cock'd. 1807–8 Syd. Smith Plymley's Lett. Wks. 1859 II. 168/1 To sleep every night with cocked pistols under their pillows. 1819 Byron Juan i. cl, With sword drawn and cock'd trigger. |
2. full-cocked, half-cocked: at full or half cock (see cock n.1 13 b). In slang (Australian) use, half-cocked = partially intoxicated.
| 1809 W. Irving Knickerb. (1849) 206 The burghers gazed..as a wary housewife does at a gun, fearful it may go off half-cocked. 1888 F. Hume Mad. Midas i. vii. 54 This last drink reduced Mr. Villiers to that mixed state which is known in colonial phrase as half-cocked. |
▪ III. cocked, ppl. a.3
Put up in cocks, as hay: see under cock v.3
▪ IV. cocked
var. of cocket a. Obs.