A bell worn on a rooster or gamecock, especially in cockfighting; also historically used as a term for certain bell-shaped objects.
From 'cock' (rooster) plus 'bell.' The term appeared in English contexts related to cockfighting, where bells were attached to fighting birds for identification or sporting tradition.
Cockbells were real objects used in cockfighting, a brutal sport that was once widespread and legal. The 'cock-' prefix words reveal that roosters were everywhere in medieval and early modern life—they had more specific vocabulary for roosters than we do!
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