cock-of-the-rock

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cock-of-the-rock

(kŏk′əv-thə-rŏk′)

n. pl. cocks-of-the-rock

Either of two South American birds (Rupicola rupicola or R. peruvianus) having a distinctive crest and bright-orange or reddish plumage in the male.

[From its habit of nesting on rocks.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

cock-of-the-rock

(Animals) either of two tropical South American birds, Rupicola rupicola or R. peruviana, having an erectile crest and (in the male) a brilliant red or orange plumage: family Cotingidae (cotingas)

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

cock′-of-the-rock′

n., pl. cocks-of-the-rock.

either of two brilliant orange-red crested birds of South America, a Guianan species Rupicola rupicola and an Andean species R. peruviana, allied with or members of the cotinga family.

[1815–25]

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Channeling the likes of Axl Rose and Keith Richards with his tattoos, heavy furs and even heavier eyeshadow, Cruise clearly relishes the opportunity to play against type even as he sends up his world's-biggest-movie-star identity, displaying a cock-of-the-rock strut that viewers haven't seen since his turn in "Magnolia." And whether he's turning Jon Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" into a rebel yell or ordering his fans to "Pour Some Sugar on Me," the thesp socks over his singing duties with aplomb.

Rock of Ages

some of these include the emerald tree boa, the silky anteater, the golden cock-of-the-rock, the golden lion tamarin, and the hoatzin.