n. [ OE. cockes cockles, AS. s&aemacr_;coccas sea cockles, prob, from Celtic; cf. W. cocs cockles, Gael. cochull husk. Perh. influenced by F. coquille shell, a dim. from the root of E. conch. Cf. Coach. ]
Cockle hat,
Cockle stairs,
v. t.
Cockling sea,
n. [ AS. coccel, cocel; cf. Gael. cogall tares, husks, cockle. ] (Bot.)
n. (Bot.) A coarse, composite weed, having a rough or prickly fruit; one of several species of the genus
a. Wrinkled; puckered. [ 1913 Webster ]
Showers soon drench the camlet's cockled grain. Gay. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Inclosed in a shell. [ 1913 Webster ]
The tender horns of cockled snails. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. One who takes and sells cockles. [ 1913 Webster ]
n.
To board the cockleshell in those plunding waters. W. Black. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. a European annual (Agrostemma githago) having large trumpet-shaped reddish-purple flowers and poisonous seed; a common weed in grainfields and beside roadways; naturalized in America.
n. a European annual (Vaccaria hispanica) with pale rose-colored flowers; cultivated flower or self-sown grainfield weed; introduced in North America; sometimes classified as a soapwort.
n. (Bot.) A disease in wheat, in which the blackened and contracted grain, or ear, is filled with minute worms. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ Hot + cockle, cockle being perh. corrupt. fr. knuckle. Cf. F. main chaude (lit., hot hand) hotcockles. ] A childish play, in which one covers his eyes, and guesses who strikes him or his hand placed behind him. [ 1913 Webster ]