weathercock
weathercock Lexical Profile
weathercock Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A revolving pointer mounted on a high roof or steeple to indicate the direction of the wind, traditionally shaped like a rooster.
"The gilded weathercock atop the village church steeple gleamed brightly in the morning sun."
A fickle or inconstant person or thing that readily changes opinions or allegiances according to prevailing trends.
"Critics dismissed the opportunistic politician as a mere weathercock who shifted his stance with every new poll."
• verb
To turn or pivot into the direction of the wind like a weathervane (especially of an aircraft, boat, or vehicle).
"The light airplane began to weathercock on the icy runway as the crosswind intensified."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Dating back to the 13th century in Middle English as 'wedercoc', the word refers to the traditional practice of placing rooster-shaped wind vanes atop church steeples, inspired by a 9th-century papal decree recalling the rooster that crowed after Saint Peter's denial of Christ.