COCKETS, or Coquets. An official custom-house warrant descriptive of certain goods which the searcher is to allow to pass and be shipped. Also, a galley term for counterfeit ship-papers.—Cocket bread. Hard sea-biscuit.
COCK-PADDLE. A name of the paddle or lump-fish (Cyclopterus lumpus).
COCKLE. A common bivalve mollusc (Cardium edule), often used as food.
COCKLING SEA. Tumbling waves dashing against each other with a short and quick motion.
COCKPIT. The place where the wounded men are attended to, situated near the after hatchway, and under the lower gun-deck. The midshipmen alone inhabited the cockpit in former times, but in later days commission and warrant officers, civilians, &c., have their cabins there.—Fore cockpit. A place leading to the magazine passage, and the boatswain's, gunner's, and carpenter's store-rooms; in large ships, and during war time, the boatswain and carpenter generally had their cabins in the fore cockpit, instead of being under the forecastle.
COCKPITARIAN. A midshipman or master's mate; so called from messing in the cockpit of a line-of-battle ship.
COCKSETUS. An old law-term for a boatman or coxswain.
COCKSWAIN, or Coxswain. The person who steers a boat; after the officer in command he has charge of the crew, and all things belonging to it. He must be ready with his crew to man the boat on all occasions.
COCOA, or Chocolate Nuts, commonly so termed. (See [Cacao].) It is the breakfast food of the navy.
COCOA-NUT TREE. The Palma cocos yields toddy; the nut, a valuable oil and milky juice; the stem, bark, branches, &c., also serve numerous purposes. (See [Palmetto].)