coax
pronunciation
How to pronounce coax in British English:
UK [kəʊks]
How to pronounce coax in American English:
US [koʊks]
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- Noun:
- a transmission line for high-frequency signals
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- Verb:
- influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
Word Origin
- coax
- coax: [16] In the 16th and 17th century a cokes was a ‘simpleton, someone easily duped’ (it is not known where the word came from, although it might perhaps be related to cockney). To cokes someone was thus to ‘make a cokes of them, fool them’. This spelling survived until the 18th century, when it was supplanted by coax. The word’s meaning, meanwhile, had passed via ‘treat as a simpleton or pet’ and ‘fondle’ to ‘wheedle’.
- coax (v.)
- 1580s, originally in slang phrase to make a coax of, from earlier noun coax, cox, cokes "a fool, ninny, simpleton" (1560s); modern spelling is 1706. Origin obscure, perhaps related to cock (n.1). Related: Coaxed; coaxing.
Example
- 1. Do they kick out-or coax out-the toughest to teach ?
- 2. That achieved , it may be possible to coax the maoists back to the table .
- 3. An hour later , my midwife tried unsuccessfully to coax me out of the tub .
- 4. I use this insect amulet to coax neal out of the pavilion through the long parking lot and back to the car .
- 5. The effort to coax israel with american gifts , say mr obama 's defenders , was a recognition that action was urgent .