weathercock

noun

weath·​er·​cock ˈwe-t͟hər-ˌkäk 

1

: a vane often in the figure of a cock mounted so as to turn freely with the wind and show its direction

2

: a person or thing that changes readily or often

Synonyms

• acrobat
• chameleon
• chancer [British]
• opportunist
• temporizer
• timeserver
• trimmer

Examples of weathercock in a Sentence

when the winds suddenly shifted on social values, the weathercocks wasted no time in proclaiming their newfound passion for conservatism

Recent Examples on the Web

When the Museum of Old Newbury purchased the weathercock from the First Religious Society of Newburyport in 2018, the presumption was the vane was made by either Shem Drowne or his son Thomas. —Maysoon Khan, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Aug. 2019

When a new meeting house was erected on Pleasant Street in 1801, the weathercock went with it. —Maysoon Khan, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Aug. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

weathercock

noun

weath·​er·​cock -ˌkäk 

: a weather vane shaped like a rooster