Obs. exc. dial. Also cockit, cocked. [perh. orig. a. Fr. coquet, coquette coquettish, gallant, agreeable (f. coq: see COQUETTE), with the sense modified to express the strutting or defiant manner of the cock, as in the modern cocky. (Possibly also associated with cocked, Sc. cockit ‘turned up,’ ‘stuck up’; but this would not explain the original form in -et.)]
Proud, ‘stuck up’; pert, saucy; brisk; in mod. dial. merry.
1537. Latimer, Let. Cromwell, in Rem. (1845), 380. As for my lord of Hayles, I fear he will be too cocket now with his great authority and promotion.
1600. Holland, Livy, III. lxv. 133. They beleeved verily that their youth were too cocked and lustie [nimis feroces].
1609–38. Heywood, Rape Lucrece, Wks. 1874, V. 201. Her tongue not too lowd nor cocket.
1611. Cotgr., Accrester, to wax cockit, grow proud … to strout it, or stand vpon high tearms. Ibid., Coquart, vndiscreetlie peart, cocket, iollie, cheerfull.
1674. Ray, N. C. Words, 11. Cocket, brisk, malapert.
1883–8. Huddersf. & Sheffield Gloss., Cocket, merry.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., Juditium, 311. Gay gere and witles, his hode set on koket, As prowde as pennyles, his slefe has no poket.
