English word cocky comes from English cockatoo, English -y
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| cockatoo | English (eng) | (slang, obsolete) A lookout posted during a two-up game, when gambling was illegal.. A bird of the family Cacatuidae with a curved beak and a zygodactyl foot. |
| -y | English (eng) | Forming abstract nouns denoting a state, condition, or quality.. Used in the name of some locations which end in -ia in Latin. Forming diminutive nouns. Also used for familiar and pet names as a term of endearment. Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives meaning “having the quality of”.. Added to verbs to form adjectives meaning "inclined to". |
| cocky | English (eng) | (Australia, New Zealand, colloquial) A cockatoo farmer.. (New Zealand, informal) A sheep farmer.. Abbreviation of cockatoo; used when pretending to talk to such a bird, as in "hello cocky". |