Definition of half cock
1
: the position of the hammer of a firearm when about half retracted and held by the sear so that it cannot be operated by a pull on the trigger
2
chiefly British
: a state of inadequate preparation or mental confusion
go off at half cock
Learn More About half cock
Statistics for half cock
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Half cock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/half%20cock. Accessed 13 Aug. 2022.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Test Your Vocabulary
Commonly Confused Words Quiz
-
- I went to the ______ store to buy a birthday card.
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Name That Animal: Volume 2
Can you tell a meerkat from a wombat?
Take the quiz
-
Fashionable Words
A vocab quiz with panache
Take the quiz
-
Name That Thing
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question ...
Take the quiz
-
Spelling Bee Quiz
Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...
Take the quiz
Share half cock
Time Traveler for half cock
The first known use of half cock was in 1745
See more words from the same year