What does cockles of the heart mean?
Definition of cockles of the heart : the core of one’s being —usually used in the phrase warm the cockles of the heart.
What are your cockles?
The cockles of the heart are its ventricles, named by some in Latin as “cochleae cordis”, from “cochlea” (snail), alluding to their shape. The saying means to warm and gratify one’s deepest feelings.
Where does the saying come from cockles of your heart?
The term warm the cockles of one’s heart dates back to the mid-1600s, a time when scientific texts were often written in Latin. The Latin term cochleae cordis means ventricles of the heart, and most probably, the word cochleae was corrupted as cockles.
Does a cockle have a heart?
But the cockles that Mary quite contrary had in her garden, and the cockles being sold by Molly Malone, are bivalve mollusks that have heart-shaped shells. Of the cockles, one of the most heart-shaped is Corculum cardissa, also known as the heart cockle.
What does cockle mean in slang?
(in the plural) One’s innermost feelings (only in the expression “the cockles of one’s heart”). (directly from French coquille) A wrinkle, pucker.
What does it mean to warm someone’s heart?
pleasant feelings of happiness
Definition of warm someone’s heart : to cause someone to have pleasant feelings of happiness It warms my heart to see them together again.
What does it mean when someone warms your heart?
Definition of warm someone’s heart : to cause someone to have pleasant feelings of happiness It warms my heart to see them together again.
How do you pronounce cocles?
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA: /ˈko.kles/, [ˈkɔkɫ̪ɛs̠]
- (Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈko.kles/, [ˈkɔːkles]
- Homophone: cocles.
What does melt my heart mean?
Definition of melt one’s heart : to fill someone with compassion, sympathy, etc. It would have melted your heart to see her lying in that hospital bed. A warm smile melts the heart [=causes someone to feel affection].
What is the origin of the phrase ‘cockles of Your Heart’?
Under one popular theory, the phrase “cockles of your heart” is derived from the Latin description for the heart’s chambers, cochleae cordis. It is believed that the word “cockles” is a corrupted version of cochleae, most likely entering the popular vernacular as a form of slang.
Do the cockles of your heart warm you up?
Under this theory, the cockles of your heart are analogous to the cold chambers of a kiln, which must be warmed to a certain temperature in order to function at its best. It could be argued that a nostalgic movie or other life-affirming experience warms a person in the same sense that a fire warms the “cockles” of a kiln.
Why is the heart called the cochlea?
(² The word cochleæ is the nominative plural of cochlea; cordis, meaning of the heart, is the genitive singular of cor, heart—cf. English courage.) According to a popular theory, the explanation lies in the zoological name for the cockle, Cardium, from Greek καρδία (= kardía), heart (cf. English cardiac).