ETYM Old Eng. pecok. Pea- in this word is from AS. peá, pâwa, peacock, from Latin pavo, prob. of Oriental origin.
Male peafowl; having a crested head and very large fanlike tail marked with iridescent eyes or spots.
Technically, the male of any of various large pheasants. The name is most often used for the common peacock Pavo cristatus, a bird of the pheasant family, native to S Asia. It is rather larger than a pheasant. The male has a large fan-shaped tail, brightly colored with blue, green, and purple “eyes” on a chestnut background. The female (peahen) is brown with a small tail.