Blows given by cocks before they close, or, as the term is, mouth it: used figuratively for words previous to a quarrel.
Definition taken from The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, originally by Francis Grose.
Sparkish * SparrowNathan Bailey's 1736 Dictionary of canting and thieving slang
John S. Farmer's collection of canting songs and slang rhymes