Arrogant, boastful, or swaggering in manner; displaying excessive pride or boldness (archaic).
From cock (rooster, symbolizing boldness and aggression) + -erous or -ous (adjective suffix). This archaic term combined the rooster's symbolic aggressive confidence with the suffix used in words like 'generous' and 'dangerous'.
Medieval people were remarkably consistent in their animal symbolism—the rooster always meant boldness, pride, and aggressive confidence. So 'cockerouse' literally means 'rooster-like,' and a cockerouse person is someone strutting around like they own the farmyard, completely full of themselves.
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