Meacock

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who shows a lack of courage or determination and easily avoids danger or difficulty
2. Someone characterized by fearfulness and a failure to stand up to challenges or threats
3. An individual who lacks bravery and is easily intimidated or discouraged

Etymology: "Meacock" is an English word for a timid, cowardly person, and its name seems to combine two others. The most likely source is a blend of "meek" with "peacock", the strutting bird whose name suggests showy pride, so a figure who is all display and no nerve. An alternative is "meek" followed by "-ock", a diminutive suffix that appears in words such as "hillock" and "bullock", producing something like "little meek one." The two explanations are not mutually exclusive, since the "-ock" ending may have been reinforced by the "peacock" association. The word's most striking feature is the "cock" element, which in English usually suggests a male bird or a vulgar term. Here it is best understood as the diminutive ending, not a sexual reference, so the word's history does not hinge on that association. Its meaning rests on the contrast of "meek" with the bold, showy bird.