'acockbill' originates from the combination of 'a-' meaning 'on' or 'in the state of' and 'cockbill,' which refers to the position of a yard on a ship.

'acockbill' changed from the older nautical term 'cockbill,' which described the position of a yard on a ship, and eventually became the modern English word 'acockbill.'

Initially, it meant 'a yard tilted up at one end,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.