cock feather: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Primarily, yes. In modern English, its established, technical meaning is in archery. It can descriptively mean a feather from a male bird, but this is very rare.

Historically, 'cock' simply meant a male bird, especially a rooster. The term likely originates because the distinct feather (often from a rooster) was used to mark the arrow, similar to how a rooster might be a prominent marker in a farmyard.

If the cock feather is facing the bow when shot, it will strike the bow riser upon release. This causes erratic flight, reduced speed and accuracy, and can damage both the arrow's fletching and the bow.

Most traditional arrows with natural feather fletching (3 or 4 feathers) will have one cock feather. Modern plastic vanes are often all identical, but the principle of a marked orientation (e.g., a differently coloured vane) is still used and may be referred to by the same term.

A feather from a male bird, especially a rooster, often used in archery to identify the correct orientation of an arrow.

Cock feather is usually technical/specialist in register.

Cock feather: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɒk ˌfɛðə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɑːk ˌfɛðər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.