cockcrow: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowLiterary, poetic, dated, rural
Quick answer
What does “cockcrow” mean?
The time of day early in the morning when a rooster (cock) typically crows.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The time of day early in the morning when a rooster (cock) typically crows; dawn, daybreak.
Any early morning period; a traditional marker of time in rural or poetic contexts. Can metaphorically signify the beginning or start of something.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Slightly more likely to appear in British literary texts due to historical rural associations. The term 'rooster' is American English for the bird, but 'cockcrow' is the established compound in both variants.
Connotations
Same in both: evokes tradition, simplicity, and the natural world. May sound quaint or old-fashioned.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in contemporary speech in both regions. More likely found in literature, historical texts, or deliberate stylistic choices.
Grammar
How to Use “cockcrow” in a Sentence
[Subject] awoke at cockcrow.They departed [Temporal Adjunct: before/by/at] cockcrow.Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Rare, only in historical, literary, or anthropological studies discussing timekeeping.
Everyday
Virtually never used in contemporary casual speech.
Technical
Not used.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cockcrow”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cockcrow”
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'The rooster cockcrows'). Incorrectly hyphenating ('cock-crow'). Using it to refer to the sound itself rather than the time period.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered literary, poetic, and somewhat old-fashioned. It is rarely used in everyday conversation.
Primarily, no. Its primary meaning is the *time* associated with that sound (dawn). The sound itself is usually called a 'crow'.
'Dawn' is a standard, neutral word for the first light of day. 'Cockcrow' is more specific and evocative, implying a rural context where a rooster's crow is the signal for the time.
No. The verb is simply 'to crow' (the rooster crows). 'Cockcrow' is solely a noun.
The time of day early in the morning when a rooster (cock) typically crows.
Cockcrow is usually literary, poetic, dated, rural in register.
Cockcrow: in British English it is pronounced ˈkɒk.krəʊ, and in American English it is pronounced ˈkɑːk.kroʊ. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “At the cockcrow (meaning: very early in the morning)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a rooster (a COCK) on a CROW-bar at the break of day. The sound of its CROW marks the time: COCKCROW.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A SIGNAL (The rooster's crow is an audible marker of a specific time). BEGINNING IS DAWN (Cockcrow metaphorically represents the start of an endeavour).
Practice
Quiz
In which of the following contexts would the word 'cockcrow' be LEAST appropriate?