cox

In modern English, this word is most often short for *coxswain*—the person in a rowing boat who steers and gives calls to keep the crew together. You might hear, “She’s the cox,” meaning she isn’t rowing; she’s guiding the boat and directing the rowers.

It can also be used as a verb in the same setting: if you “cox” a race, you serve as the coxswain and run the boat from that seat.

In biology and medicine, *COX is also used as a name for an enzyme (often written COX-1 and COX-2*) that is talked about when people discuss painkillers and inflammation. This meaning is common in textbooks and health writing, even if you don’t see it in everyday conversation.

Most of the time, you’ll meet this word in rowing. It’s a short, everyday form of *coxswain*: the person who steers a shell (racing boat), watches the course, and gives instructions so the rowers stay in time and execute a race plan. In a sentence, “The cox called for a sprint” means the person in charge of steering and calls told the crew to speed up. In broader boating contexts, a coxswain can also be the sailor responsible for a ship’s boat and its crew, especially in naval or rescue settings.

This word can also function as a verb connected to that role. If someone “coxed” a race or “is coxing” a boat, they are acting as the coxswain—steering, making calls, and coordinating the crew.

Outside of boats, you may see *COX in biology and medicine as a label for cyclooxygenase, an enzyme involved in making chemicals that affect pain and inflammation. You’ll often see it in forms like COX-1 and COX-2* (for example, in discussions of how some anti-inflammatory drugs work).