1. a rooster bred and trained for cockfighting
Usage: historical; refers to a now-illegal practice in most places
2. a person who shows great courage and fighting spirit
Usage: figurative use

Examples

• The old barn still had remnants of the gamecock pens from decades past.
• Gamecocks were once a popular form of entertainment in rural areas.
• The coach praised his team captain as a real gamecock on the field.
• Like a gamecock, he never backed down from a challenge.
• The University of South Carolina’s mascot is the Gamecock.
• Historical records show that gamecock fighting was common in colonial America.