cockles of the heart

noun phrase

: the core of one's being

—usually used in the phrase warm the cockles of the heart

Word History

Etymology

probably from cockle entry 2, from a presumed resemblance of the closed shell to a heart

Note: Compare Herzmuschel, the German name for the cockle, literally, "heart mussel"; and New Latin Cardium, the original genus name of the species (based on Greek kardía "heart").

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cockles of the heart

• apart
• depart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• rampart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart
• upstart