An archaic term for a mollusk or shellfish, particularly a cockle or similar creature.
From Middle English, combining 'cock' (a rooster, used metaphorically for prominent or male) with 'loche,' an old term for a shellfish or aquatic creature. The exact etymology is obscure but reflects medieval vocabulary for marine animals.
This word is so archaic it barely appears in modern dictionaries, but it shows how medieval English had wonderfully specific terms for the creatures people actually encountered in fishing communities!
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