n. [ OE. cockes cockles, AS. s&aemacr_;coccas sea cockles, prob, from Celtic; cf. W. cocs cockles, Gael. cochull husk. Perh. influenced by F. coquille shell, a dim. from the root of E. conch. Cf. Coach. ] 1. (Zool.) A bivalve mollusk, with radiating ribs, of the genus Cardium, especially Cardium edule, used in Europe for food; -- sometimes applied to similar shells of other genera. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A cockleshell. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The mineral black tourmaline or schorl; -- so called by the Cornish miners. Raymond. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The fire chamber of a furnace. [ Eng. ] Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A hop-drying kiln; an oast. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. The dome of a heating furnace. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cockle hat, a hat ornamented with a cockleshell, the badge of a pilgrim. Shak. --
Cockle stairs, winding or spiral stairs. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Cockled p. pr. & vb. n. Cockling ] [ Of uncertian origin. ] To cause to contract into wrinkles or ridges, as some kinds of cloth after a wetting. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cockling sea, waves dashing against each other with a short and quick motion. Ham. Nav. Encyc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. coccel, cocel; cf. Gael. cogall tares, husks, cockle. ] (Bot.) (a) A plant or weed that grows among grain; the corn rose (Luchnis Githage). (b) The Lotium, or darnel. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A coarse, composite weed, having a rough or prickly fruit; one of several species of the genus Xanthium; -- called also clotbur. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Wrinkled; puckered. [ 1913 Webster ]

Showers soon drench the camlet's cockled grain. Gay. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Inclosed in a shell. [ 1913 Webster ]

The tender horns of cockled snails. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who takes and sells cockles. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One of the shells or valves of a cockle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A light boat. [ 1913 Webster ]

To board the cockleshell in those plunding waters. W. Black. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a European annual (Agrostemma githago) having large trumpet-shaped reddish-purple flowers and poisonous seed; a common weed in grainfields and beside roadways; naturalized in America.
Syn. -- corn cockle, corn-cockle, corn campion, crown-of-the-field, Agrostemma githago. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a European annual (Vaccaria hispanica) with pale rose-colored flowers; cultivated flower or self-sown grainfield weed; introduced in North America; sometimes classified as a soapwort.
Syn. -- cowherb, cow cockle, Vaccaria hispanica, Vaccaria pyramidata, Saponaria vaccaria. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Bot.) A disease in wheat, in which the blackened and contracted grain, or ear, is filled with minute worms. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Hot + cockle, cockle being perh. corrupt. fr. knuckle. Cf. F. main chaude (lit., hot hand) hotcockles. ] A childish play, in which one covers his eyes, and guesses who strikes him or his hand placed behind him. [ 1913 Webster ]