spring chicken
Americannoun
-
a young chicken, especially a broiler or fryer.
-
Slang. a young person.
I don't know his age, but he's no spring chicken.
noun
-
Also called: springer. a young chicken, tender for cooking, esp one from two to ten months old
-
informal she is no longer young
Etymology
Origin of spring chicken
An Americanism dating back to 1835–45
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.
And I was not a spring chicken at 74 years old.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
“I’m not a 22-year-old spring chicken anymore. I’m 31 and I got to find a way to stay fresh and stay warm.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 5, 2024
Especially if Trump, at 76 no spring chicken himself, is in the race.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 27, 2023
At 71, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is a relative spring chicken.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2022
"Well, Lillie,” he said to Mother, "I guess my spring chicken days are over. When you start getting pecks on the cheek from your daughters’ friends, you’re on the decline.”
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
