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.
Yet shoppers who prefer fresh turkey — around 10% of customers — should certainly get ready for the bird to take a bigger bite into their wallet, Lempert said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
Declines in commodity turkey and private-label snack nuts contributed to a 4% decline in Hormel’s retail segment sales.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Other discoveries include glass beads, stone tools, nails, and animal bones from meals that included turtle, freshwater fish, and turkey.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
The well-known food brand rose to prominence in the 1960s when Bernard Matthews entered the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest turkey farmer in Europe.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Her very special marinated goose, smoked turkey, and honey-glazed ham and all the trimmings made the base of a meal that everybody contributed to.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Turkey has been wrestling with the fallout from an investment fund scandal that erupted this month with the collapse of what officials have called a "Ponzi-like" scheme.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
They are winless in 10 games, have scored two goals in that time and shipped four against Turkey, four against Denmark and seven against Wales.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
But angering the president in Turkey is not funny.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Last week, Iranian state-affiliated media said Mahan would suspend flights to Oman and Turkey.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
“And it looks so much like Mima’s oud. The oud I carried from Turkey to Cuba!”
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
Diesel’s rising costs could soon translate into higher grocery prices for Americans — and push up the cost of Thanksgiving turkeys and pumpkin pie.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 25, 2026
Those turkeys have roughly three-week shelf lives and will begin shipping in early November.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
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
Cameras have tagged humans as bears and turkeys.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
Joel wouldn’t begin slaughtering cattle and turkeys till later in the summer.
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.
