byock, noun

/ˈbaɪɒk/
Forms:
Also byok.
Origin:
EnglishShow more Etymology unknown; the Italian bajocco ‘brown’ entered English in the 16th century as byock or baiock, meaning ‘a small Italian copper coin’, but any relationship with this word seems unlikely.
Ostrich-farming
A black and white wing-feather from a cock ostrich; fancy sense 1. See also prime.
1877 J. De Mosenthal Ostriches & Ostrich Farming 226Byoks. White, with black spots.
1896 R. Wallace Farming Indust. of Cape Col. 235Dark Femina, 5s. and 10s. per lb. higher. Byocks steady...‘Byock’, said to be a corruption of a foreign word for black and white, denotes the parti-coloured feathers from the wing of the male; only a few are found on each bird.
1902 Agric. Jrnl of Cape of G.H. XX. 721Byocks £4.10.0 — £6.0.0.
1909 J.E. Duerden in Agric. Jrnl of Cape of G.H. XXXIV. 523Towards each extremity of the wing in the cock, the white wing quills pass gradually into the black feathers, and four or five feathers at each end are a parti-colour of black and white. They are generally very attractive plumes, and are known as fancies or byocks, and classed as long and short.
c1936 S. & E. Afr. Yr Bk & Guide 340An exceptionally good bird should yield from 20 to 26 ozs. of feathers and should give from 60 to 62 long whites and byocks.
1967 E. Rosenthal Encycl. of Sn Afr. 90Byocks, Type of ostrich feather, taken from the wing of a male, and of two colours.
A black and white wing-feather from a cock ostrich; fancy sense 1.
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by-and-by, nounn.byter, nounn.
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