cockle
cockle Lexical Profile
cockle Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small, edible, burrowing marine bivalve mollusk belonging to the family Cardiidae, characterized by a heart-shaped, prominently ribbed shell.
"During the low tide, the foragers walked along the estuary shoreline to gather cockles and mussels for a seafood stew."
A wrinkle, pucker, or bulge, especially one formed on a flat surface such as paper, parchment, or fabric.
"The high humidity in the conservation studio caused a noticeable cockle in the antique watercolor paper."
A weed that grows in grain fields, historically referring to the corn cockle or darnel, which can be toxic to livestock.
"The agronomist advised the farmers on new crop rotation methods to prevent cockle and other invasive weeds from overtaking the wheat fields."
• verb
To form wrinkles, puckers, or ripples (especially of paper, parchment, or fabric due to moisture or uneven shrinkage).
"If the canvas is not properly tensioned on the frame, the fabric will begin to cockle when the primer is applied."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often encountered metaphorically in the idiom 'warm the cockles of one's heart', a phrase likely derived from the Latin anatomical term 'cochleae cordis' (ventricles of the heart) due to their resemblance to a cockle shell.
• Rhymes for cockle
Word Origin & Etymology
The word has two distinct historical origins. The shellfish derives from Old French 'coquille' (shell) and Latin 'conchylium'. The weed or plant sense comes from Old English 'coccel'. The sense of wrinkling may be related to the irregular, ribbed surface of the shell.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.