chicken

[ chik-uhn ]

noun

1. 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.
2. the young of this bird, especially when less than a year old.
3. the flesh of the chicken, especially of the young bird, used as food.
4. Slang.
   1. a cowardly or fearful person.
   2. a young or inexperienced person, especially a young girl.
   3. petty details or tasks.
   4. unnecessary discipline or regulations.
   5. a young gay male, especially one sought as a sexual partner by older men.
5. 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.
6. a policy or strategy of challenging an opponent to risk a clash or yield:

   diplomats playing chicken at the conference table.

adjective

1. (of food) containing, made from, or having the flavor of chicken:

   chicken salad; chicken soup.

2. Slang.
   1. cowardly.
   2. petty or trivial:

      a chicken regulation.

   3. obsessed with petty details, regulations, etc.:

      He's quitting this chicken outfit to become his own boss.

verb phrase

1. Slang.
   1. to refrain from doing something because of fear or cowardice:

      I chickened out when I saw how deep the water was.

   2. to renege or withdraw:

      You can't chicken out of this business deal now.

chicken

/ ˈtʃɪkɪn /

noun

1. a domestic fowl bred for its flesh or eggs, esp a young one
2. the flesh of such a bird used for food
3. any of various similar birds, such as a prairie chicken
4. slang.
   a cowardly person
5. slang.
   a young inexperienced person
6. slang.
   an underage boy or girl regarded as a potential target for sexual abuse
7. informal.
   any of various, often dangerous, games or challenges in which the object is to make one's opponent lose his nerve
8. count one's chickens before they are hatched
   to be overoptimistic in acting on expectations which are not yet fulfilled
9. like a headless chicken informal.
   disorganized and uncontrolled
10. no chicken or no spring chicken slang.
    no longer young

    she's no chicken

adjective

1. slang.
   easily scared; cowardly; timid

Word History and Origins

Origin of chicken¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of chicken¹

Old English ciecen; related to Old Norse kjūklingr gosling, Middle Low German küken chicken

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. 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.

More idioms and phrases containing chicken

• count one's chickens
• go to bed with (the chickens)
• like a chicken with its head cut off
• no spring chicken

Example Sentences

Some chicken soup and about five hours of sleep did wonders for his sore throat.

From Los Angeles Times

As was typically the case, Trump offered no further specifics, but all 50 states mandate not only MMR vaccinations, but shots against polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and chicken pox for all schoolchildren.

From Los Angeles Times

The collection also includes a chicken cup used to serve wine for the Chenghua emperor and Ru wares made for the Northern Song dynasty court around 1086.

From BBC

At The Noortwyck, we have the foie gras butter that pairs with our Duck Bun and we also include it in the albufera sauce for our chicken dish.

From Salon

Dishonourably discharged in 2000, McDonald worked briefly in a supermarket and at a factory packing chickens but soon began committing fraud.

From BBC

Related Words

• hen
• poultry