Large, colorful birds native to Asia, with males displaying elaborate tail feathers in courtship; plural of peacock.
From Middle English 'pecocke', from Old English 'pēa' (peacock, from Latin 'pavo') + 'cock' (male bird). The Latin 'pavo' may come from a word imitating the bird's cry.
Male peacocks' stunning displays consume enormous energy and make them vulnerable to predators, yet evolution favored this extravagance because female peahens prefer the most magnificent displays - proving that beauty and survival sometimes align in unexpected ways.
Visual male display coded as narcissism/vanity; historically female beauty scrutinized while male self-presentation normalized as 'nature.'
Use metaphor carefully: avoid 'vain peacock' for women specifically; if gendering, note biological display across genders.
["display","preening","ornamentation"]
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