coxcomb

n. [ A corrupted spelling of cock's comb. ] 1. (a) A strip of red cloth notched like the comb of a cock, which licensed jesters formerly wore in their caps. (b) The cap itself. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The top of the head, or the head itself. [ 1913 Webster ]

We will belabor you a little better,
And beat a little more care into your coxcombs. Beau & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A vain, showy fellow; a conceited, silly man, fond of display; a superficial pretender to knowledge or accomplishments; a fop. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fond to be seen, she kept a bevy
Of powdered coxcombs at her levee. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some are bewildered in the maze of schools,
And some made coxcombs, nature meant but fools. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Bot.) A name given to several plants of different genera, but particularly to Celosia cristata, or garden cockscomb. Same as Cockscomb. [ 1913 Webster ]