Word of the day

nestle-cock, n.
The last-hatched bird of a brood; the weakling of a brood. In extended use: a mother’s pet; a spoilt or delicate child or youth.
Pronunciation: Brit. /ˈnɛslˌkɒk/,  U.S. /ˈnɛs(ə)lˌkɑk/
Forms: see nestle v.1 and cock n.1
Etymology: <  nestle v.1 + cock n.1 Compare nest-cock n., nest-cockle n. at nest n. Compounds 2.
 Now chiefly Eng. regional (north.north midl.).

a1632  T. Middleton  & J. Webster Any Thing for Quiet Life (1662) iv. sig E4v, My mother was wont to call me your Nestle-cock, and I love you as well as she did.
a1661  T. Fuller Worthies (1662) London 196 One coaks’d or cocker’d, made a wanton or a Nestle-cock of, delicately bred and brought up.
a1796  S. Pegge Two Coll. Derbicisms (1896) 48 Nestle-cock[this word has precisely the same meaning as Nestlebub, and is used occasionally].
1868 Sphinx 14 Nov. 133, I tell o’ what, this nestle-cock ‘S a wick un, I con see.
1883  T. Lees Easther’s Gloss. Dial. Almondbury & Huddersfield 91 Nestlecock, the youngest child.
1952  D. M. Jones Anathemata v. 124 Whose nestle-cock polis but theirs knows the sweet gag?
1986  P. O’Brian Reverse of Medal v. 161 You ignorant incompetent whey-faced nestlecock.

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