rooster
(also ‘cock’, ‘chanticleer’, ‘roo’)
[A]
comb & wattles
an adult breeding male of the domestic fowl (chicken) whose female is called a ‘hen’; much larger body with attractive colourful feathers, a red comb (= a thick growth of hard-skin), two red wattles (= round loose skin folds) hanging from the beak (bill) and throat, thick, long, mane-like feathers on the back of the neck, strong wings, (not very much used for flying), long, curved (sickle-like) colourful tail feathers, medium-sized strong legs with long toes, and spurs (small toes on the back of the leg above the toes); Size: the smallest (bantam rooster) – 6-7 inches tall, the largest 1½-2 feet tall, and weight: anywhere from 500 grams to 5 Kg; feeds on (eats) mostly grain, plant matter, and insects, worms, small animals, such as lizards, spiders, etc; lives for 5-15 years; several breeds found all over the world
[The call of a rooster is called ‘crow’ & ‘cluck’. The meat of a rooster people eat is called ‘chicken’. “Roosting” is the activity of a bird perching on a branch of a tree, and rest or sleep, mostly during night.]
Special Features:
The ‘Gallic rooster’ is the national bird of France, Europe.
The rooster is the symbol of pride and arrogance!
The rooster is an important character in several fables, stories, and comics.
cock fight
A rooster, in this context the name used is ‘cock’, is made to fight with another rooster in a blood sport called ‘cock fight’ in several parts of the world.
In Buddhism it is believed that Buddha once lived in the form of a ‘rooster’!
Figures of Speech:
1.
rooster (noun) =
(a) a person who is always ready to fight
(b) one of the animals in the 12 year cycle of animals in Chinese zodiac calendar
2.
as mean as a rooster in a thunder storm (‘mean’, in this context, = bad (?))
3.
don’t crow so loud rooster, you might lay an egg [said as a piece of advice not to boast of oneself]
4.
a rooster one day and a feather duster the next [a comment on the instability of life in politics, because a person may be in a powerful position one day, as a minister or governor, and may be in a very simple position of a party member the next, as is the case of a rooster – proud and trotting around the brood of chickens one day, and killed and the feathers made into a feather duster the next day]
[B]
an adult male of certain other birds
[Return to "gamecock".]
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About the Author:BC Kumar
BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.
