chicken

American  

[chik-uhn] / ˈtʃɪk ən /

noun

1. a domestic fowl, Gallus domesticus, descended from various jungle fowl, especially the red jungle fowl, and developed in a number of breeds for its flesh, eggs, and feathers.

2. the young of this bird, especially when less than a year old.

3. the flesh of the chicken, especially of the young bird, used as food.

4. Slang.

   1. a cowardly or fearful person.

   2. a young or inexperienced person, especially a young girl.

   3. petty details or tasks.

   4. unnecessary discipline or regulations.

   5. a young gay male, especially one sought as a sexual partner by older men.

5. a contest in which two cars approach each other at high speed down the center of a road, the object being to force one's opponent to veer away first.

6. a policy or strategy of challenging an opponent to risk a clash or yield.

   diplomats playing chicken at the conference table.

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adjective

1. (of food) containing, made from, or having the flavor of chicken.

   chicken salad; chicken soup.

2. Slang.

   1. cowardly.

   2. petty or trivial.

      a chicken regulation.

   3. obsessed with petty details, regulations, etc..

      He's quitting this chicken outfit to become his own boss.

verb phrase

1. chicken out

   1. to refrain from doing something because of fear or cowardice.

      I chickened out when I saw how deep the water was.

   2. to renege or withdraw.

      You can't chicken out of this business deal now.

idioms

1. count one's chickens before they are hatched,  to rely on a benefit that is still uncertain.

   They were already spending wildly, in anticipation of their inheritance, counting their chickens before they were hatched.

chicken British  

/ ˈtʃɪkɪn /

noun

1. a domestic fowl bred for its flesh or eggs, esp a young one

2. the flesh of such a bird used for food

3. any of various similar birds, such as a prairie chicken

4. slang  a cowardly person

5. slang  a young inexperienced person

6. slang  an underage boy or girl regarded as a potential target for sexual abuse

7. informal  any of various, often dangerous, games or challenges in which the object is to make one's opponent lose his nerve

8. to be overoptimistic in acting on expectations which are not yet fulfilled

9. informal  disorganized and uncontrolled

10. slang  no longer young

    she's no chicken

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adjective

1. slang  easily scared; cowardly; timid

chicken More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing chicken

• count one's chickens
• go to bed with (the chickens)
• like a chicken with its head cut off
• no spring chicken

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Etymology

Origin of chicken

First recorded before 950; 1605–15 chicken for def. 4a; 1940–45 chicken for def. 6; Middle English chiken, Old English cīcen; akin to Middle Dutch kieken ( Dutch kuiken ), Low German küken

Example Sentences

But is that really a better deal than a $13 bowl of fresh greens, whole-grain rice, grilled chicken, tahini and pickled cabbage?

From The Wall Street Journal

Picture eating perfectly fried chicken nuggets topped with a bump of caviar as tennis balls whizz from one side of the court to the other.

From Salon

Bair, her husband and their two sons now dutifully haul home any leftover bones—beef, pork or chicken.

From The Wall Street Journal

In addition to turkeys, residents include cows, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, llamas and emus.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s a bit of a chicken and egg conundrum.

From Barron's

Related Words

• hen
• poultry