a cock of hay
Preserved but no longer current.
Also seen as: a haycock
Meaning · English
A small heap of hay thrown up temporarily. (Ger. kocke, a heap of hay; Norw. kok, a heap.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “a cock of hay” mean?
A small heap of hay thrown up temporarily. (Ger. kocke, a heap of hay; Norw. kok, a heap.
Is “a cock of hay” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.