uncock

uncock — verb

  • uncockpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • uncocks3rd person singular
  • uncocking-ing form
  • uncockedpast simple

1. to lower the hammer on a gun so it is no longer ready to fire.

1.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to lower the hammer on a gun so it is no longer ready to fire.

Example

Before cleaning the pistol, Eli uncocked it and opened the chamber.

safety step before cleaning a firearm

The instructor showed Yasmin how to uncock the rifle without firing it.

pattern: uncock + firearm

Common collocations
  • uncock the pistol
  • uncock the rifle
  • uncock the shotgun
  • uncock before cleaning
Synonyms
  • decock

    the closest technical synonym; more common in manuals for modern firearms

  • lower

    broader; only matches this sense when the object is a gun's hammer

  • disarm

    much broader; often means taking weapons away or making something safe in any way

Antonyms
  • cock

    to pull the hammer back into the ready-to-fire position

Grammar Patterns

uncock + noun phrase

Usage Note

Usually used with firearms that have a hammer you can lower by hand. It describes making the gun no longer ready to fire, not taking the ammunition out.

Common Mistakes

He uncocked the rifle and removed the bullets.
He uncocked the rifle and then unloaded it.
uncock lowers the hammer; it does not mean taking the ammunition out.

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Use uncock when you mean lowering a firearm's hammer so the weapon is no longer set to fire. Decock is the closest synonym and is often the word you see in technical manuals, especially for modern pistols. Unload means removing the bullets or cartridges, so a gun may be unloaded but still cocked. Disarm is broader and can mean taking a weapon away from someone or making it safe by any method. If a range officer says uncock the rifle, think about the hammer position. If the officer says unload the rifle, remove the ammunition as well. In safety instructions, the order often matters: uncock first, then unload and store the weapon.

decockunload ↗disarm ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • uncock before cleaning
  • uncock before storage

Etymology

English

Formed in English from the reversing prefix un- and cock in its firearms sense, meaning to set a gun's hammer ready to fire. The word therefore means to undo that ready position by lowering the hammer again.

First known use

1693

1693, in the meaning defined above