The rooster's cocky attitude has given him a reputation for arrogance and promiscuity. It has also given English several terms for people whose behavior is reminiscent of that strutting barnyard fowl. The noun coquet comes from French, where it is a diminutive of coq, the French word for rooster. Originally, in the 1600s, English speakers used coquet to describe men who indulged in trifling flirtations. Today coquet can refer to male or female flirts (though coquette, the French feminine form, is more commonly used for flirtatious women), and coquetry can refer to flirtation by men or women.
the new boss was all business and put a stop to the banter, practical joking, and coquetry in the office
Recent Examples on the WebThe three-inch heels that the women wear when performing the dance are visible at the bottom of the skirt—a demure bit of coquetry. Fernanda Pérez Sánchez, Vogue, 8 Aug. 2022 In other words, the most dizzying and most consequential storyline of Michigan’s offseason — Harbaugh’s coquetry with the Minnesota Vikings notwithstanding — is going to linger a while longer. Michael Cohen, Detroit Free Press, 27 July 2022 Too ashamed to start a romance with a social inferior, Diana nevertheless spitefully scuttles her underlings’ relationship and harasses Teodoro with on-again, off-again coquetry. Celia Wren, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2020