Definition

Noun: A young male domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus), specifically one that is less than one year old. It is the immature stage before the bird becomes a fully mature rooster or cock.

Usage

The word "cockerel" is used to specify the age and sex of a chicken. It distinguishes a young, maturing male bird from a mature rooster (an older, fully grown male) and from a pullet (a young female chicken).

Examples

• The farm has several cockerels that will grow into roosters next spring.
• You can tell it's a cockerel by its developing comb and wattles and the beginnings of tail feathers.
• That cockerel is starting to crow, even though he's still quite young.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in poultry farming, animal husbandry, and bird shows to classify birds by age and sex.
• In some contexts, "cockerel" can be used figuratively to describe a young man who is boastful or strutting, much like the behavior of the bird, though this is less common.

Variants and Related Words

• Rooster / Cock (noun): The adult male chicken. A cockerel matures into a rooster.
• Pullet (noun): A young female domestic chicken, typically less than one year old.
• Chick (noun): A very young, newly hatched chicken of either sex.

Synonyms

• Young cock
• Juvenile rooster

Antonyms

• Rooster (as the mature form)
• Pullet (as the female counterpart)
• Hen (adult female chicken)

Noun

1. a young domestic cock; not older than one year