jungle fowl

American  

[juhng-guhl foul] / ˈdʒʌŋ gəl ˌfaʊl /

Or junglefowl

noun

1. any of several gallinaceous birds of the genus Gallus, found in India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia: G. gallus red jungle fowl is believed to be the primary ancestor of the domestic chicken.

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jungle fowl British  

noun

1. any small gallinaceous bird of the genus Gallus, of S and SE Asia, the males of which have an arched tail and a combed and wattled head: family Phasianidae (pheasants). G. gallus ( red jungle fowl ) is thought to be the ancestor of the domestic fowl

2. any of several megapodes, esp Megapodius freycinet

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Etymology

Origin of jungle fowl

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

Dridi and other researchers wanted to see how much genetic differences there were between jungle fowl and modern breeds.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2024

Five varieties of jungle fowl range from India to northern China, and small chicken bones are rare in fossil sites.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 5, 2022

After all, chickens, the descendants of Asian jungle fowl, had only been in Britain for a few hundred years, and they were loud, colorful and still rare.

From Washington Post • Jan. 13, 2017

Chickens trace their ancestry back thousands of years to the red jungle fowl of Southeast Asia—and perhaps some other birds that got into the mix.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 15, 2016

The scurry of gray jungle fowl running for cover.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy