turkey

¹

[ tur-kee ]

noun

, plural tur·keys, (especially collectively) tur·key.

1. 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.
2. the flesh of this bird, used as food.
3. the ocellated turkey.
4. Slang.
   1. a person or thing of little appeal; dud; loser.
   2. a naive, stupid, or inept person.
   3. a poor and unsuccessful theatrical production; flop.
5. Bowling. three strikes in succession.

Turkey

²

or Tür·kiye

[ tur-kee; Turkish tur-kee-ye ]

noun

1. a republic in western Asia and southeastern Europe. 296,184 sq. mi. (767,120 sq. km): 286,928 sq. mi. (743,145 sq. km) in Asia; 9,257 sq. mi. (23,975 sq. km) in Europe. : Ankara.

turkey

¹

/ ˈtɜːkɪ /

noun

1. 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
2. the flesh of the turkey used as food
3. a similar and related bird, Agriocharis ocellata ( ocellated turkey ), of Central and N South America
4. any of various Australian birds considered to resemble the turkey, such as the bush turkey
5. slang.
   1. a dramatic production that fails; flop
   2. a thing or person that fails; dud
6. slang.
   a stupid, incompetent, or unappealing person
7. slang.
   (in tenpin bowling) three strikes in a row
8. See cold turkey
9. talk turkey informal.
   to discuss frankly and practically

Turkey

²

/ ˈtɜːkɪ /

noun

1. a republic in W Asia and SE Europe, between the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Aegean: the centre of the Ottoman Empire; became a republic in 1923. The major Asian part, consisting mainly of an arid plateau, is separated from European Turkey by the Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, and Dardanelles. Official languages: Turkish; Kurdish and Arabic minority languages. Religion: Muslim majority. Currency: lira. Capital: Ankara. Pop: 80 694 485 (2013 est). Area: 780 576 sq km (301 380 sq miles)

Turkey

1. Republic straddling southeastern Europe and the Middle East , bordered by the Black Sea to the north, Georgia and Armenia to the northeast, Iran to the east, Iraq and Syria to the southeast, the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea to the southwest, and Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest. Ninety-seven percent of the country is in Asia . Ankara is its capital, but Istanbul is its largest city and former imperial capital.

Spelling Note

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.

Notes

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.

Other Words From

• an·ti-Tur·key an·ti-Tür·kiye adjective
• pro-Tur·key pro-Tür·kiye adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of turkey¹

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; guinea fowl ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of turkey¹

C16: shortened from Turkey cock ( hen ), used at first to designate the African guinea fowl (apparently because the bird was brought through Turkish territory), later applied by mistake to the American bird

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. talk turkey, Informal. to talk frankly; mean business.

More idioms and phrases containing turkey

see cold turkey ; talk turkey .

Example Sentences

The other was another edition of a baking contest that featured a dirty turkey cake and one with a gaping orifice that spits stuffing.

From Los Angeles Times

Dead animals littered the side of the road; deer, raccoons, something that looked like a purple jackal, a Chupacabra or two, what looked like a werewolf, and at least one low-flying turkey vulture.

From Salon

“My escape plan is…to bring turkey sandwiches to New Zealand,” Kaplan writes.

From Los Angeles Times

They mainly include prepared salads, rice or pasta bowls containing potentially contaminated chicken or turkey, per Today.

From Salon

And a pouch labeled something like turkey dinner “might be apple sauce with a whisper of turkey,” Young said.

From Los Angeles Times

What Is The Plural Of Turkey?

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.