cockle
/'kɔkl/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A common edible, burrowing European bivalve mollusk: A type of shellfish with a strong, rounded shell that has radiating ribs.
- The shell of this mollusk: The hard, protective outer covering of the cockle.
- A small, shallow boat: (Archaic) A light, small boat.
Verb:
- To gather something into small wrinkles or folds: To contract or pucker a surface, such as fabric or skin.
- To stir up (water) so as to form ripples: To cause the surface of water to become slightly agitated with small waves.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Mollusk):
- We collected cockles from the sandy shore at low tide.
- The recipe calls for fresh cockles and white wine.
- Noun (Shell):
- A child's bucket was filled with pretty cockles and other seashells.
- Verb (To wrinkle):
- The old parchment had cockled with age and moisture.
- The heat from the iron cockled the delicate silk.
- Verb (To ripple water):
- A gentle breeze cockled the surface of the pond.
Advanced Usage
- "to warm the cockles of someone's heart": To give someone a feeling of deep contentment and happiness.
- That generous donation really warmed the cockles of my heart.
Variants and Related Words
- Cockleshell (n): The shell of a cockle; (historically) a small, light boat.
- The tiny boat was no more than a cockleshell on the vast ocean.
Synonyms
- Noun (Mollusk): Bivalve, shellfish.
- Verb (To wrinkle): Pucker, crumple, crinkle, ruffle.
- Verb (To ripple): Ruffle, dimple.
Related Phrases
(No specific phrasal verbs are commonly associated with "cockle")
Related Idioms
- Warm the cockles of someone's heart: As defined in Advanced Usage.
Noun
- common edible, burrowing European bivalve mollusk that has a strong, rounded shell with radiating ribs
- common edible European bivalve
Verb
- to gather something into small wrinkles or folds
- She puckered her lips
- stir up (water) so as to form ripples