Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
cock of the rock

cock of the rock

9.9
A bright red or orange South American bird with a fan-shaped crest
  • noun
  • /kɑk əv ðə rɑk/
translation icon : gallo de las rocas
  • The Guianan cock of the rock is known for its striking orange plumage and fan-shaped crest.

Examples

  • A beautiful cock-of-the-rock flew by.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • At dawn, the male cock of the rock performed its courtship display to attract a mate.

  • But we did see a number of tanagers and a "cock of the rock."

    Blog text (9)

  • During our hike, we spotted a vibrant cock of the rock sitting on a low branch.

Synonyms

Rupicola rupicola
vscock of the rock
  • Specialized
9.9

A bright red or orange bird from northern South American rainforests whose male has a round crest

is a general common description rather than the scientific species name

Surface Forms

cock of the rock singular
cocks of the rock plural

Morphology

cock + of + the + rock

The phrase transparently composes 'cock' (male bird) with a locative/genitive phrase 'of the rock', so a learner who knows the words will likely infer it denotes a kind of bird associated with rocks. However, specific features of the species (bright red/orange plumage, fan-shaped crest, South American range) are not predictable from the constituents, so the expression is only partially predictable.

Etymology

Cock of the rock may come from early English visitors who thought the bright male bird looked like a proud cock, a 'rooster', standing on a rocky ledge to show off. So today the name means the colorful bird that shows off on rocks in the rainforest.