poultry
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of poultry
1350–1400; Middle English pulletrie < Middle French pouleterie. See pullet, -ery
Explanation
Domesticated birds raised for meat or eggs are poultry. If you're going to keep poultry in your back yard, you'll need to build a chicken coop. When you talk about eating chicken or turkey, you can refer to that type of meat as poultry: "I don't eat red meat — just a little fish and poultry." Other birds that fall into the category of poultry are domesticated guinea hens, ducks, and geese. If they're wild, on the other hand, they're called game. Before poultry came to mean "domestic fowl" in the 14th century, it meant "place where fowl is sold."
Vocabulary lists containing poultry
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocabulary for October 7–October 13, 2023
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for February 2–February 8, 2025
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"The Ugly Duckling" by Hans Christian Andersen
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Poultry litter only becomes available when chicken houses are cleaned, not necessarily when a farmer needs it, said Maples.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
Poultry prices rose, supported by strong international demand.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
Poultry from Brazil, widely criticised for its poor quality, and fruit and vegetables from South Africa or Europe all flood Kinshasa supermarkets, often at exorbitant prices.
From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025
Poultry producers, disease experts and government officials are now questioning the practice of widespread culling in response to H5N1 bird flu outbreaks.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2025
Rosie is the brand name for a type of chicken raised by Petaluma Poultry.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
