Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The shell of a cockle.
  • noun A shell similar to that of a cockle.
  • noun Nautical A small light boat.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The shell of the cockle, especially the common cockle, Cardium edule. See cut under cockle.
  • noun A representation of a cockle, serving, instead of the shell itself, as the badge and attribute of a pilgrim: in heraldry, same as scallop.
  • noun A cockboat.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun One of the shells or valves of a cockle.
  • noun A light boat.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The shell of a cockle (or similar shell)
  • noun A small, flimsy boat

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a small light flimsy boat

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • There is a moment when the kitten pounces on the unsuspecting dragonfly, when the lost cockleshell is found and the little girl in a yellow bathing suit drains the seawater back into the sea … the noose comes tight against his throat.

    A MOMENT (ON THE GALLOWS) • by Bosley Gravel 2009

  • The only other items in the grave were bay and willow leaves and a single pierced cockleshell.

    Worcester Pilgrim 2008

  • As she was in the habit of obeying his commands very literally, and as a few hours after he left Lisbon a little cockleshell of a steamer came in, she embarked in this most unseaworthy boat the afternoon of the same day, though she had no proper accommodation for passengers.

    The Romance of Isabel Lady Burton 2006

  • A high sea ran, and the light boat dived, and soared, and fell again, dancing like a cockleshell.

    Ultima Thule 2003

  • Sheer senseless destruction to send in a cockleshell like the JERVIS BAY against the might of a pocket battleship, a folly and a bravado, that amounted to nothing less than madness.

    The Lonely Sea MacLean, Alistair, 1922- 1985

  • There were three of them astern of us, cockleshell rowing boats, with three soldiers - Germans, I thought - in each, every one life-jacketed and armed to the teeth - as wicked looking a boarding party as I'd seen for a long time.

    The Lonely Sea MacLean, Alistair, 1922- 1985

  • Those who had dared to pit this cockleshell against the unleashed might of the Vilayet could do naught but cling and wait.

    Conan The Unconquered Jordan, Robert, 1948- 1983

  • Those who had dared to pit this cockleshell against the unleashed might of the Vilayet could do naught but cling and wait.

    Conan The Unconquered Jordan, Robert, 1948- 1983

  • And in the morning there was a cockleshell of a boat oared in by one of the men who had found it downriver.

    Ride Proud, Rebel! Andre Norton 1958

  • In our impatience to land, I and my friend left the schooner in a cockleshell of a boat, which upset in the surge, and we found ourselves floundering in the water.

    Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine — Volume 54, No. 337, November, 1843 Various

Comments

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  • This is a boat term, reesetee...

    March 23, 2011