coax

English

Etymology 1

originally (1586) in the slang phrase to make a coax of, from earlier noun coax, cox, cokes "fool, simpleton", itself of obscure origin, perhaps related to cock (male bird, pert boy). The modern spelling is from 1706.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /kəʊks/, X-SAMPA: /k@Uks/
• (US) enPR: kōks, IPA: /koʊks/, X-SAMPA: /koUks/

• Audio (US), verb

  (file)

• Homophones: Cokes, cokes

Verb

coax (third-person singular simple present coaxes, present participle coaxing, simple past and past participle coaxed)

1. (obsolete) to fondle, kid, pet, tease
2. To wheedle, persuade (a person, organisation, animal etc.) gradually or by use of flattery to do something.

   He coaxed the horse gently into the trailer.

   • 12 July 2012, Sam Adams, AV Club Ice Age: Continental Drift

     On paper, Continental Drift boasts a jaw-dropping voice cast, including but not limited to Jennifer Lopez, Patrick Stewart, Wanda Sykes, Aziz Ansari, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Nicki Minaj, Drake, and Alan Tudyk. But in practice, the overstuffed ensemble leaves the cast no room to distinguish themselves, and directors Steve Martino and Michael Thurmeier don’t seem interested in coaxing performances that might render their money stars less identifiable.

3. To manipulate carefully into a particular situation or position.

   They coaxed the rope through the pipe.

Synonyms

• (persuade gradually): cajole, persuade, wheedle
• (manipulate carefully into position): ease

Translations

persuade gradually

• Arabic: تملق (ar) (tamállaqa)
• Bulgarian: уговарям (bg) (ugovarjam), склонявам (bg) (sklonjavam)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 哄 (cmn) (hōng)

• Dutch: overhalen (nl)
• Finnish: taivutella, suostutella, vikitellä, maanitella
• French: cajoler (fr), amadouer (fr)
• German: überreden (de), schmeicheln (de)
• Greek: καταφέρνω (el) (kataférno), πείθω (el) (peítho)

• Japanese: 丸め込む (ja) (marumekomu), 誑す (ja) (tarasu), 強請る (ja) (nedaru, yusuru)
• Russian: уговаривать (ru) (ugovárivat') impf., уговорить (ru) (ugovorít') pf., увещевать (ru) (uveščevát') impf.
• Swedish: lirka (sv)
• Turkish: ikna etmek (tr), tatlı sözle kandırmak (tr), tavlamak (tr)

manipulate carefully into position

• Finnish: sovitella (fi), ujuttaa (fi)
• Greek: καλοπιάνω (el) (kalopiáno)

• Norwegian: lirke (no)

Noun

coax (plural coaxes)

1. (obsolete) A simpleton; a dupe.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Beaumont and Flanders to this entry?)

Etymology 2

Shortened from coaxial

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈkəʊæks/, X-SAMPA: /"k@U{ks/
• (US) enPR: kōʹăks, IPA: /koʊæks/, X-SAMPA: /koU{ks/

• Audio (US), noun

  (file)

Noun

Wikipedia coax (plural coaxes)

1. Shortened form of coaxial cable

Translations

coaxial cable

• Bulgarian: коаксиален кабел (bg) (koaksialen kabel)
• Dutch: coaxkabel (nl) m, coaxiale kabel (nl) m

• Finnish: koksu (fi)

References

• “coax” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001). [1]

Anagrams

• coxa

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French

Pronunciation

• Audio (Paris)

  (file)

Noun

coax m (plural coax)

1. coax (coaxial cable)

Synonyms

• coaxial
• câble coaxial