Peacock

Peacock
Peacock Pea"cock` (p[=e]"k[o^]k`), n. [OE. pecok. Pea- in this word is from AS. pe['a], p[=a]wa, peacock, fr. L. pavo, prob. of Oriental origin; cf. Gr. taw`s, taw^s, Per. t[=a]us, t[=a]wus, Ar. t[=a]w[=u]s. See {Cock} the bird.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) The male of any pheasant of the genus {Pavo}, of which at least two species are known, native of Southern Asia and the East Indies. [1913 Webster]

Note: The upper tail coverts, which are long and capable of erection, are each marked with a black spot bordered by concentric bands of brilliant blue, green, and golden colors. The common domesticated species is {Pavo cristatus}. The Javan peacock ({Pavo muticus}) is more brilliantly colored than the common species. [1913 Webster]

2. In common usage, the species in general or collectively; a peafowl. [1913 Webster]

{Peacock butterfly} (Zo["o]l.), a handsome European butterfly ({Hamadryas Io}) having ocelli like those of peacock.

{Peacock fish} (Zo["o]l.), the European blue-striped wrasse ({Labrus variegatus}); -- so called on account of its brilliant colors. Called also {cook wrasse} and {cook}.

{Peacock pheasant} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of handsome Asiatic pheasants of the genus {Polyplectron}. They resemble the peacock in color. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Peacock — (engl. für Pfau) bezeichnet: einen Stern, siehe Alpha Pavonis eine Computerfirma, Actebis Peacock GmbH eine Stadt in Texas, Peacock (Texas) ein amerikanisches Plattenlabel, Peacock Records eine Winterthurer Punk /Rockabilly und Psychobillyband,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • PEACOCK — PEACOCK, bird called ταως in Greek and tavvas in the Mishnah. The peacock (Pavo cristatus) is a ritually clean bird (see dietary laws ) belonging to the pheasant family. In mishnaic times some wealthy people in Ereẓ Israel bred the peacock as an… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Peacock — Constelación Pavo Ascensión recta α 20h 35min 38.9s Declinación δ 56° 44’ 06’’ Distancia …   Wikipedia Español

  • PEACOCK (T. L.) — PEACOCK THOMAS LOVE (1785 1866) En 1812, Peacock rencontra Shelley; puis, en 1817, il passa quelques mois à Great Marlow en sa compagnie. Cette période joua un rôle décisif dans le développement de sa carrière d’écrivain. Les idées qui… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • peacock — [pē′käk΄] n. pl. peacocks or peacock [ME pacok < pa, peacock (< OE pea < early WGmc borrowing < L pavo, peacock, ? akin to Gr taōs, ? of Asian orig.) + cok,COCK1] 1. a) any male peafowl, esp., one of a species (Pavo cristatus) with a… …   English World dictionary

  • peacock — c.1300, poucock, from M.E. po peacock + coc (see COCK (Cf. cock) (n.)). Po is from O.E. pawa peafowl, from L. pavo (gen. pavonis), which, with Gk. taos said to be ultimately from Tamil tokei (but perhaps is imitative; Latin represented the… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Peacock —   [ piːkɔk],    1) George, britischer Mathematiker, * Denton (bei Darlington) 9. 4. 1791, ✝ Ely 8. 11. 1858; lehrte in Cambridge (ab 1837 als Professor) und wurde später Dechant von Ely. Peacock errang große Verdienste um die Neubelebung der… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • peacock — ► NOUN ▪ a large crested pheasant of which the male has very long tail feathers with eye like markings that can be fanned out in display. ORIGIN Old English, from Latin pavo peacock + COCK(Cf. ↑cock) …   English terms dictionary

  • Peacock — Peacock, Thomas Love …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Peacock — Peacock, Thomas Love (1785 1866) a British writer and poet who used ↑satire (=a way of writing in which you make someone seem funny in order to show their faults) to criticize the politicians and writers of his time. His most famous works are… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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