peacock

A male peafowl, especially Pavo cristatus, notable for its brilliant iridescently ocellated tail.

The ſpring diſplaying her elegant taſte, the proud walk of the gold-feathered pheaſant, the light tread of the ſmall-hoofed hind, and the dancing of the ſtar-trained peacock, infuſed joy into the ſoul of the ſpectator of the aſtoniſhing works of the Creator.

A peafowl (of the genus Pavo or Afropavo), either male or female.

A pompous or vainglorious person [from the 14th c.].

Any of various Asian species of papilionid butterflies of the genus Papilio.

To strut about proudly or haughtily.

A routine border-check in upstate New York had turned into a back-room interrogation, and I was worried, because the three friends I was traveling with didn’t respond to authority well. I could almost hear the wry grins cracking their faces as the officers peacocked. “Is U.S. Customs a joke to you?” one officer asked. My friend Alex said, “No law against smiling, sir.”

To engage in peacocking, ostentatious dress or behaviour to impress women.

A surname transferred from the nickname.

A township in Lake County, Michigan, United States.

An unincorporated community in Stonewall County, Texas, United States.