This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
chicken
[ chik-uhn ]
/ ˈtʃɪk ən /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
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.
QUIZ
TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS
Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”
Question 1 of 7
What does "dignity" mean?
Idioms about 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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use chicken in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for chicken
chicken
/ (ˈtʃɪkɪn) /
noun
adjective
slang easily scared; cowardly; timid
Word Origin for chicken
Old English ciecen; related to Old Norse kjūklingr gosling, Middle Low German küken chicken
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with chicken
chicken
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.