If something warms the cockles of your heart, it makes you feel happy and contented. With its positive message and charming characters, this is a film to warm the cockles of your heart. In the dull grey setting, the sunny yellow colour of the house warmed the cockles of my heart. Note: Cockles are a type of shellfish. They are associated with the heart because they have a similar shape. The zoological name for cockles is `Cardium', which comes from the Greek word for `heart'.