Meaning & use
cockshy
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Meanings
nouncountableold-fashionedBritish
A traditional fairground game in which people throw sticks or balls at a wooden figure to knock it down.
Grammar: Countable; you can say 'a cockshy' or 'cockshies' for more than one.
Patterns
- play cockshy
- a game of cockshy
- at the cockshy
At the old village fair, there was a cockshy where you could win a small prize.
The cockshy was one of the most popular stalls, with children lining up to throw wooden balls.
He missed the wooden bird at the cockshy three times in a row.
nouncountableold-fashionedBritish
The wooden figure or target used in this game.
Grammar: Countable; often used with 'the' when referring to a specific target.
Patterns
- knock down the cockshy
- hit the cockshy
- set up a cockshy
The cockshy was carved to look like a rooster and stood on a post.
He aimed carefully and finally hit the cockshy right in the middle.
They had to replace the cockshy because it had been broken by so many hits.
Word forms
| plural | cockshies |
|---|
Common combinations
- play cockshy
- In the 19th century, people would play cockshy at fairs and festivals.
- a game of cockshy
- The children enjoyed a game of cockshy at the school fête.
- throw at the cockshy
- You had to pay a penny to throw at the cockshy.
- knock down the cockshy
- It took him three tries to knock down the cockshy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shy
- In old use, 'shy' could mean the act of throwing at a target, but it is even rarer and now mostly means 'timid'.
Commonly confused: cockshy or cock shy?
cockshy vs cock shy
Not a real phrase; 'cockshy' is one word. 'Cock' alone can be a rude word, so be careful with spelling.
Practice
What was a cockshy?
Choose one answer.
A cockshy was a traditional game where people threw objects at a target, often at fairs. The other options are unrelated activities or objects.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cockshy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.