a large, gallinaceous bird of the family Meleagrididae, especially Meleagris gallopavo, of America, that typically has green, reddish-brown, and yellowish-brown plumage of a metallic luster and that is domesticated in most parts of the world.
the flesh of this bird, used as food.
the ocellated turkey.
Slang.
Bowling. three strikes in succession.
a large gallinaceous bird, Meleagris gallopavo , of North America, having a bare wattled head and neck and a brownish iridescent plumage. The male is brighter and has a fan-shaped tail. A domestic variety is widely bred for its flesh
the flesh of the turkey used as food
a similar and related bird, Agriocharis ocellata ( ocellated turkey ), of Central and N South America
any of various Australian birds considered to resemble the turkey, such as the bush turkey
slang
a dramatic production that fails; flop
a thing or person that fails; dud
slang a stupid, incompetent, or unappealing person
slang (in tenpin bowling) three strikes in a row
See cold turkey
informal to discuss frankly and practically
The Republic of Türkiye changed its official name from the Republic of Turkey on May 26, 2022, in a request submitted to the secretary-general of the United Nations by the country's minister of foreign affairs.
Plural word for turkey The plural form of turkey is turkeys (not turkies). Words that end with a -y preceded by a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) are made plural by adding an -s to the end, as in chimney/chimneys and monkey/monkeys. This can be confusing, because the plural form of words that end with a -y preceded by a consonant is made by changing the y to an i and adding -es, as in party/parties, candy/candies, and duty/duties.
In 1871, the archaeologist and scholar Heinrich Schliemann discovered the site of ancient Troy on the west coast of Asian Turkey.
Parts of the country were devastated by an earthquake in 2000.
Turkey has been a member of NATO since 1952.
The declining Ottoman Empire allied with Germany, Austria, and Bulgaria in World War I and suffered disintegration and Greek occupation at the end of the war.
After the rise of a nationalist movement led by Kemal Ataturk, the Republic of Turkey was established in 1923.
Turkey has long resisted separatist demands from militant Kurds in the eastern part of the country.
The country's relations with Greece have been characterized by tension and conflict for centuries.
The Ottoman Empire emerged in Anatolia (the western portion of Asian Turkey) during the thirteenth century and survived until 1918. At its height, during the sixteenth century, the empire stretched from the Persian Gulf to western Algeria and included all of southeastern Europe.
First recorded in 1545–55; short for Turkey cock and Turkey hen “cock of Turkey” and “hen of Turkey,” first applied to guinea fowl, and later confused with the American bird; see also guinea fowl ( def. )
A turkey is a big bird that looks a bit like a huge chicken. If you've ever celebrated Thanksgiving in the U.S. or Canada, you've probably seen the large fowl turkey cooked and taking center stage at the elaborate holiday meal. Beloved as turkeys may be as holiday-eating fare, you, as a human, probably don't want to be called a turkey. The word is an insult, referring to a person who has done something ill advised or stupid, as in that uncle who decides to introduce his new girlfriend to his ex-wife on Thanksgiving Day. Irredeemable? Perhaps not if he then makes three strikes in a row while bowling later that day — earning himself a coveted turkey. Turkey can also refer to "brass tacks." When it's time to outline the facts of a deal, it's time for "talking turkey," always a good thing.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Thanksgiving always has produced an interesting dynamic with five tall, energetic kids circling for a turkey leg.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
After that semester, Min opted to pack turkey or tuna salad sandwiches for school, using bulk ingredients that his family buys from Costco.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
You can slow cook a 20-pound turkey waiting for NBA replay to resolve a contested out-of-bounds play.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
I made my first stock after Thanksgiving, when my mom threw a turkey carcass at me and said, “Use this.”
From Salon ● Jul. 2, 2026
Bubbe usually takes over our kitchen and cooks turkey, chestnut stuffing, mashed potatoes, two types of pie, and Jewish apple cake.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Some of the president’s aides had worried about flying into Turkey in advance of the trip, particularly on the Qatari-gifted jet, which has fewer defensive capabilities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
More than 100 people had to abandon ship after a fire engulfed a children's entertainment tour boat off southwestern Turkey on Thursday, officials said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday he hoped more countries would join a defence agreement signed last week between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan aimed at stabilising a region wracked by conflict.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
The exquisite comic reversal of the Turkey episode was that, this time, he was no longer directing the tableau.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
Declarations of war against Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey followed.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
In 2007, Niman and Hahn Niman started BN Ranch, specializing in organic, grass-fed beef and heritage turkeys.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
The bird flu outbreak has resulted in the deaths of roughly 200 million U.S. chickens, turkeys and egg-laying hens since it began in 2022, according to the Agriculture Department.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
This past winter, the disease largely passed over large egg-laying hen farms that can house millions of birds in a single location, but still led to the death of millions of turkeys.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
"There'd be flocks of up to 1,000 turkeys go down to London," she says.
From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2025
I want to see how he is managing, how he is coping with his life, with having to eat turkeys, and with other things.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
