Dictionary Definition
gamecock
Noun
1 a cock bred and trained for fighting [syn:
fighting
cock]
2 someone who is a very fierce fighter [syn:
hell-kite,
hell-rooster]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Translations
fighting cock
- Dutch: vechthaan
- Finnish: taistelukukko
See also
Extensive Definition
A gamecock is a type of rooster with physical and
behavioral traits derived from breeding for cockfighting. Gamecocks are
usually much more territorial, have less prominent combs and
wattles (which may be
removed entirely in a process called dubbing) , and have hard
feathering. There are numerous chicken
breeds which fit the gamecock type, but a gamecock is not in
itself a breed. Today, cockfighting, like most blood sports,
is illegal in most of the world, but exceptions exist. Gamecocks
are bred for traits that make them less suitable for barnyard use,
and are kept today in the developed world primarily for exhibition
purposes. There are several breeds of chicken, such as the Modern Game
and Old
English Game, which fit the gamecock type but are not directly
used in cockfighting.
Alternate uses
The term is popular as a nickname for many U.S. athletic teams. For example the teams at the University of South Carolina, Jacksonville State University in Alabama, Sumter High School (Sumter, South Carolina) and Screven High School (Sylvania, Georgia) use the name. A fighting cock is also the symbol for the UKs Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Also, the male sport teams of the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras are named "Gallitos" ("Little Roosters") after gamecocks. "Gamecock" is sometimes used as a nickname for people who are considered fierce fighters. During the American Revolution, General Thomas Sumter earned the nickname in his battle against the English forces in South Carolina.External links
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
Achilles, David, Hector, Roland, Samson, a man, battler, belligerent, belted knight,
bickerer, blade, brave, bravo, brawler, bulldog, bully, bullyboy, chutzpanik, combatant, competitor, contender, contestant, decorated hero,
demigod, demigoddess, disputant, duelist, enforcer, fencer, feuder, fighter, fighting cock, foilsman, gallant, gladiator, good soldier,
goon, gorilla, hatchet man, hero, heroine, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, jouster, knight, lion, man of courage, militant, paladin, plug-ugly, quarreler, rioter, rival, rough, rowdy, ruffian, sabreur, scrapper, scuffler, squabbler, stalwart, strong arm,
strong-arm man, strong-armer, struggler, swashbuckler, sword, swordplayer, swordsman, the brave, thug, tiger, tilter, tough, tussler, valiant, valiant knight,
wrangler