noun

cod

kod

noun

A large sea fish, especially Atlantic cod, widely eaten and central to many fisheries.

"They ordered fish and chips made with fresh cod."

British informal: a joke, a spoof, or an act of gentle mockery.

"It was all just a bit of a cod, nothing serious."

How to Use Cod

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMainly the common food fish; informally in British English, a joke or mock-up.

Common pairings

cod and chips a cod fillet

Word Forms

more cod comparative, codded past tense, cod plural, cods plural, cods plural, cods plural, cods singular, most cod superlative

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They ordered fish and chips made with fresh _____.

Etymology

From Middle English cod/codde, of murky origin — the fish sense may trace back to Greek gados via Latin, though the word has also historically meant a pouch or bag, unrelated senses that got tangled together over time.