cockney
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1 a person from East London (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate British Englisha person born in the East End of London, traditionally within hearing distance of the Bow Bells.
a native of the East End of London, specifically one born within the sound of the bells of St Mary-le-Bow church.
ExampleMy grandfather was a true Cockney who grew up near the docks.
ExampleWhile the term is often applied to any working-class Londoner, a true Cockney must technically be born within earshot of the Bow Bells.
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2 the dialect or accent (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate British Englishthe specific accent and way of speaking used by people from East London.
the distinct working-class dialect of London, characterised by specific phonological features and rhyming slang.
ExampleHe spoke with a thick Cockney accent that was hard for tourists to understand.
ExampleThe actor spent months working with a voice coach to master the nuances of Cockney for his role as a Victorian street merchant.
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3 relating to Cockneys (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediate British Englishrelating to the people or the language of the East End of London.
pertaining to the inhabitants, culture, or speech patterns of the East End of London.
ExampleWe went to a traditional Cockney pub for some pie and mash.
ExampleThe play features several Cockney characters whose dialogue is peppered with traditional rhyming slang.
First attested in Samuel Rowland's 1600 The Letting of Humours Blood in the Head-Vaine as "a Bowe-bell Cockney", from Middle English cokenay (“a spoiled child; a milksop, an effeminate man”), used in the 16th c. by English country folk as a term of disparagement for city dwellers, of uncertain etymology. Possibly from Middle English cokeney (“a small, misshapen egg”), from coken (“cocks'(rooster’s)”) + ey (“egg”) or from Cockney and Cocknay, variants of Cockaigne, a mythical land of luxury (first attested in 1305) eventually used as a humorous epithet of London. Compare cocker (“to spoil a child”).