cock·shy
(kŏk′shī′)n. pl. cock·shies Chiefly British 1. A mark aimed at in throwing contests.
2. The throw in a throwing contest.
[From an old game in which sticks were shied at a cock.]
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.
cockshy
(ˈkɒkˌʃaɪ) n,
pl -shies1. (Games, other than specified) a target aimed at in throwing games
2. (Games, other than specified) the throw itself.
Often shortened to: shy [C18: from shying (throwing objects at) a cock, which was given as a prize to the person who hit it]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
cock•shy
(ˈkɒkˌʃaɪ)
n., pl. -shies. Brit. 1. the sport of throwing missiles at a target.
2. the target itself.
3. an object of criticism or ridicule.
[1785–95]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.