warm the cockles of someone's heart

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warm the cockles of someone's heart

/wɔːm ðə ˈkɒk.əlz əv ˌsʌm.wənz ˈhɑːt/ UK
/woɹm ðə ˈkɑk.əlz əv ˌsʌm.wənz ˈhɑɹt/ Canada, US, cot caught merger
/woɹm ðə ˈkɔk.əlz əv ˌsʌm.wənz ˈhɑɹt/ US
/woɹm ðə ˈkɒk.əlz əv ˌsʌm.wənz ˈhɑɹt/ Canada
/woːm ðə ˈkɔk.əlz əv ˌsɐm.wənz ˈhɐːt/ Australia
/woːm ðə ˈkɒk.əlz əv ˌsɐm.wənz ˈhɐːt/ New Zealand
/wɔɹm ðə ˈkɔk.əlz əv ˌsʌm.wənz ˈhaɹt/ Scotland
/wɔʳm d̪e ˈkɔk.elz ov ˌsəm.wonz ˈhaːʳt/ India

Where it comes from

PIE word

*ḱḗr

Either from:

* the similarity of a closed cockle (“European bivalve mollusk of the family Cardiidae”) to a heart; or

* a corruption of Latin cochleae (“ventricles”) in cochleae cordis (“ventricles of the heart”).

The term cockles of [someone’s] heart is first attested in 1671: see the quotation.

verb warms the cockles of someone's heart · warming the cockles of someone's heart · warmed the cockles of someone's heart

dated, idiomatic, intransitive Especially of food or drink (particularly an alcoholic beverage): to cause someone to feel deeply warm and comfortable; to comfort, to satisfy. Here a fresh-looking barmaid serves them each with a glass of early purl as they stand before the fire, coachman and guard exchanging business remarks. The purl warms the cockles of Tom's heart and makes him cough.
dated, figuratively, idiomatic, intransitive To provide someone with a deep feeling of contentment or happiness. Novv, although he ſays in his Preface, that he vvould not much boaſt of convincing the vvorld, hovv much I vvas miſtaken in vvhat I undertook; yet, I am confident of it, that this Contrivance of his did invvardly as much rejoyce the Cockles of his heart, as he phanſies, that vvhat I vvrit did ſometi
Similar: warm someone's cockles, warm someone's heart, beatify, enrapture, begladden, blissen, bright, cheer, fetch, cheer up, cherish, content

Translations

Every language

verb to provide someone with a deep feeling of contentment or happiness

한국어	훈훈하게 하다 hunhunhage hada, 마음을 따뜻하게 하다 ma'eumeul ttatteuthage hada
日本語	心を温める kokoro o atatameru
中文	令人滿意 /令人满意 lìng rén mǎnyì, 讓人開心 /让人开心 ràng rén kāixīn, 讓人快樂 /让人快乐 ràng rén kuàilè
Português	aquecer o coração
Français	faire chaud au cœur, mettre du baume au cœur, réchauffer le cœur
Deutsch	Herz wärmen
Italiano	allargare il cuore
Русский	согрева́ть се́рдце sogrevátʹ sérdce, согре́ть се́рдце sogrétʹ sérdce

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MLA

"warm the cockles of someone's heart." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/warm%20the%20cockles%20of%20someone's%20heart. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

APA

warm the cockles of someone's heart. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/warm%20the%20cockles%20of%20someone's%20heart

Chicago

"warm the cockles of someone's heart." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/warm%20the%20cockles%20of%20someone's%20heart.

BibTeX

@misc{warm_the_cockles_of_someone_s_heart_2026,
  title = {warm the cockles of someone's heart},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/warm%20the%20cockles%20of%20someone's%20heart},
  urldate = {2026-11-07}
}