Resembling or characteristic of a coxcomb; foolishly vain or conceited.
From 'coxcomb' + '-y' (adjectival suffix), creating a simpler alternative to 'coxcomical.' This informal version likely developed in spoken English.
'Coxy' is the short, casual version of 'coxcomical'—it's like how we say 'grumpy' instead of 'grumpical'—and it probably sounds more natural in actual conversation, which is why it showed up in novels and letters but rarely in formal writing.
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