1 C1 neutral
(Of a firearm) to discharge accidentally or to release when the hammer is cocked.
"The hunter's rifle cocked off when he slipped on the wet ground."
inseparable
cock off
C1 informal intransitive
To fire or discharge accidentally when cocked; also dialectally to go away or stop bothering someone.
In plain English
For a gun to go off by accident when it's ready to fire; or (in dialect) to go away.
What does "cock off" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 idiomatic slang
(Dialectal, rude) To go away; to stop bothering someone.
"He told the persistent salesman to cock off and leave him alone."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
'Cock' is the hammer of a firearm that is pulled back; 'off' indicates it releasing — literally 'the cocked part fires off'.
Actually means
For a gun to go off by accident when it's ready to fire; or (in dialect) to go away.
Usage tip
The firearms sense is technical and rare in everyday speech. A separate, crude dialectal use means to dismiss someone ('cock off!' = go away), but this is very rare and potentially offensive in some contexts.
Words that pair with "cock off"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
gun rifle hammer trigger weapon
How to conjugate "cock off"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
cock off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
cocks off
he/she/it
Past simple
cocked off
yesterday
Past participle
cocked off
have + pp
-ing form
cocking off
continuous
Hear "cock off" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "cock off" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.