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Etymology 1[edit]

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.



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.
    • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 6, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:
      She was so mad she wouldn't speak to me for quite a spell, but at last I coaxed her into going up to Miss Emmeline's room and fetching down a tintype of the missing Deacon man.
    He coaxed the horse gently into the trailer.
  3. To carefully manipulate into a particular desired state, situation or position.
    They coaxed the rope through the pipe.


coax (plural coaxes)

  1. (obsolete) A simpleton; a dupe.

Etymology 2[edit]

Shortened from coaxial



Wikipedia has an article on:

coax (plural coaxes)

  1. Shortened form of coaxial cable


  • coax” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2018. [1]





coax m (plural coax)

  1. coax (coaxial cable)