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.
We tend to think of ambitious centerpiece proteins as the terrain of cold-weather holidays: the Thanksgiving turkey, the glazed ham or the New Year’s Eve prime rib.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
The singer has also been candid about his love for country living and turkey hunting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
I’d also feel temperamental if Saturday Night Live made a meal out of jokes about my turkey neck week after week.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Sales benefited from stronger demand for turkey and other meat brands as consumers continue to prepare more meals at home and look for relatively affordable sources of protein.
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
Red-tailed hawks, barred owls, a ruffed grouse, an osprey with brown wings the color of Byrd’s eyes, and even a male wild turkey, fluffed and frozen in time.
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
Van Bommel will be assisted by Boudewijn Zenden, Maarten Martens and Reinier Robbemond, with an early task to oversee Nations League fixtures against Italy, France and Turkey across September and October.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
In India, sales rose by 61.2 percent in the first half, in Turkey by 15.4 percent, in Morocco by 13.7 percent and in Brazil by 5.3 percent.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Turkey borders Iran, and hostilities between Washington and Tehran had flared up again at the time.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
The Air Force has used one of the older Air Force Ones to fly as a backup during recent trips, including when Trump went to the summit in Turkey earlier this month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Abuela explains, “I should say, I was born in Turkey. I left for Cuba when I was twelve and never returned to Turkey, never saw my mother and father and my two sisters again.”
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
An avian influenza outbreak had killed tens of millions of chickens and turkeys, and wholesale prices of Midwest large eggs hit $5.36 a dozen in late 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 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
The turkeys would roost at night in trees before being encouraged down in the morning with food and then walking on again.
From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2025
Nearly everyone in town raised a few chickens, but turkeys were less common, being bigger and having a more pronounced tendency toward meanness, except of course for Travis’s birds.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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.
