Cock (chicken) - Definition and Overview

This article concerns biological roosters. For the Chinese zodiacal symbol, see Rooster (zodiac).

A rooster from the Barred Plymouth Rock breed, caught in the act of crowing.

A cock or rooster is a male chicken (the female is a hen), reputedly so named because it roosts over clutches of eggs. In fact, "roosting" is the action of perching aloft and is done by both sexes. "Cock" is the original name, still in use in most of the English-speaking world, but largely dropped by the Americans. According to H. L. Mencken's The American Language, the euphemism "rooster" took precedence over "cock" in the United States during the Victorian era (and parts of the bird were similarly renamed, such as the "drumstick" for "leg") to avoid ostensibly sexually provocative language.

The cock is the (unofficial) national mascot of France, in particular for sports teams.