1. A fight between cocks; spec. a match in which cocks, usually armed with long steel spurs, are set to fight each other in a place called a ‘cock-pit.’
1565–6. Stat. Hartlebury, Worc., in N. Carlisle, Endowed Gram. Sch., II. 759. The said Schoolmaster shall … have use and take the profits of all such cock-fights and potations as are commonly used in Schools.
1581. Mulcaster, Positions, xviii. (1887), 78. In cokfights and quailefightes.
a. 1602. W. Perkins, Cases Consc. (1619), 346. The bayting of the Beare, and Cock-fights are no meete recreations.
1748. Wesley, Wks. (1872), II. 92. There was to begin in an hour’s time a famous cockfight.
1854. H. Miller, Sch. & Schm. (1858), 49. The school, like almost all the other grammar-schools of the period [1815] in Scotland, had its yearly cock-fight.
2. transf. A fighting match.
1494. Fabyan, VII. ccxxvii. 256. Shortly after skyrmysshes & cocke fyghtes began atwene ye sayd .ii. prynces.
1843. Carlyle, Past & Pr., II. xv. 96. After that sinful chivalry cockfight of theirs!
