chicken

[ chik-uhn ]

/ ˈtʃɪk ən /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for chicken on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

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

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

Slang.

a cowardly or fearful person.
a young or inexperienced person, especially a young girl.
petty details or tasks.
unnecessary discipline or regulations.
a young gay male, especially one sought as a sexual partner by older men.

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.

a policy or strategy of challenging an opponent to risk a clash or yield: diplomats playing chicken at the conference table.

adjective

(of food) containing, made from, or having the flavor of chicken: chicken salad; chicken soup.

Slang.

cowardly.
petty or trivial: a chicken regulation.
obsessed with petty details, regulations, etc.: He's quitting this chicken outfit to become his own boss.

Verb Phrases

chicken out, Slang.

to refrain from doing something because of fear or cowardice: I chickened out when I saw how deep the water was.
to renege or withdraw: You can't chicken out of this business deal now.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”

Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.

Question 1 of 7

Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?

their

there

they're

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for chicken

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.

Origin of chicken

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

Words nearby chicken

chickaree, Chickasaw, Chickasawhay, Chickasha, chickee, chicken, chicken adder, chicken-and-egg, chicken breast, chicken cholera, chicken colonel

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for chicken

Frozen 2 all but drags Elsa’s queerness into the text, though it chickens out at the last minute.
Toward a queer Disney canon|Emily VanDerWerff|September 4, 2020|Vox
Tyga launched TYGA BITES, a “celebrity-owned virtual dining concept,” aka chicken nuggets you order through Grubhub.
Travis Scott Is the First Celebrity Since Michael Jordan to Get McDonald’s Meal Named After Him|Jaya Saxena|September 4, 2020|Eater
Swallowing eye-popping amounts of fried chicken, instant noodles and hot dogs have made these gluttons internet stars.
Why Is China Cracking Down on Food Waste?|Daniel Malloy|September 3, 2020|Ozy
We tested this 20,000-BTU propane grill when we had family visiting and were able to cook enough chicken thighs and legs for six people.
5 Portable Grills for All Your Outdoor Cooking Needs|Amy Marturana Winderl|September 2, 2020|Outside Online

Sharing the boat with a pig, a donkey, and a chicken, they set sail for the Seychelles, more than a thousand miles to the west.
‘Colonialism’ and crypto claims: Why the .io domain name extension faces an uncertain future|David Meyer|August 31, 2020|Fortune
Wearing the right foot of a chicken was considered good luck.
The History of the Chicken: How This Humble Bird Saved Humanity|William O’Connor|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
While the chicken today might be the least exotic bird one can think of, it was once a gift that wowed kings.
The History of the Chicken: How This Humble Bird Saved Humanity|William O’Connor|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The chicken, to this day, is valued for its medicinal properties.
The History of the Chicken: How This Humble Bird Saved Humanity|William O’Connor|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Rome, he writes, the chicken “predicted the outcome of battles.”
The History of the Chicken: How This Humble Bird Saved Humanity|William O’Connor|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Lawler is more interested in the more fascinating story of how the chicken spread.
The History of the Chicken: How This Humble Bird Saved Humanity|William O’Connor|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Squinty could look out, but the slats were as close together as those in a chicken coop, and the little pig could not get out.
Squinty the Comical Pig|Richard Barnum
So Hettie put the chicken in a cage, with some wool to cover it, and fed it several times every day, till it came to know her.
The Nursery, July 1873, Vol. XIV. No. 1|Various
Lyn was no chicken-hearted weakling, to sit down and weep unavailingly in time of peril.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Not so much, either; 'cause a chicken will stir round an' scratch a livin' out the ground, sooner 'n starve.
Dorothy at Skyrie|Evelyn Raymond
There was no one who could make such excellent coffee or fry a chicken so golden brown as she.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

British Dictionary definitions for chicken

chicken

/ (ˈtʃɪkɪn) /

noun

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

the flesh of such a bird used for food

any of various similar birds, such as a prairie chicken

slang a cowardly person

slang a young inexperienced person

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

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

count one's chickens before they are hatched to be overoptimistic in acting on expectations which are not yet fulfilled

like a headless chicken British informal disorganized and uncontrolled

no chicken or no spring chicken slang no longer youngshe's no chicken