chicken

1 of 3

noun

chick·​en ˈchi-kᵊn How to pronounce chicken (audio)
 sometimes  -kᵊŋ
plural chickens
1
a
: the common domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) especially when young
also : its flesh used as food compare jungle fowl
b
: any of various birds or their young
2
: a young woman
3
a
: coward
b
: any of various contests in which the participants risk personal safety in order to see which one will give up first
4
[short for chickenshit] slang : petty details
5
slang : a young or youthful gay man
also : a boy or young man regarded as an object of sexual interest especially by a man compare chicken hawk sense 3

chicken

2 of 3

adjective

1
a
: scared
2
slang
a
: insistent on petty details of duty or discipline

chicken

3 of 3

verb

chickened; chickening ˈchi-kᵊn-iŋ How to pronounce chicken (audio)
ˈchik-niŋ

intransitive verb

: to lose one's nerve
usually used with out
seemed to exhibit courage, manliness, and conviction when others chickened outJ. R. Seeley

Examples of chicken in a Sentence

Noun We had chicken for dinner. It's just a spider, you chicken! Don't be such a big chicken. Adjective too chicken to go through with the stunt just concentrate on the important duties of the job and forget about the chicken stuff
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
India’s Great Curry Clash: A court in Delhi has been asked to solve a bitter dispute between two families who have very different accounts of the origins of butter chicken, a dish beloved around the world. Paul Tough, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024 The main event is the southwestern twist on hot chicken. The Arizona Republic, 15 Mar. 2024 But, nevertheless, [drivers] could play very high-speed games of chicken with each other. Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024 With the reopening comes the return of Soul Food Sundays, when a huge spread of food is available, including fried chicken, meatloaf, smothered pork chops, ribs, rib tips and brisket along with side options such as macaroni and cheese, homemade southern collard greens, cabbage and sweet potatoes. Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 15 Mar. 2024 In November, he was convicted on felony conspiracy to trespass and two counts of misdemeanor trespass, and sentenced to time served plus two years’ probation for his involvement in two separate open rescues, with hundreds of fellow-activists, at chicken and bird farms in Sonoma County. Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024 Substitute a pound of ground beef, pork, turkey, chicken or lamb. Julia Turshen, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 Add in Southern staples with your chicken and shrimp like okra and plum tomatoes. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2024 The food offered by executive chef Matthew Kirkley is also distinctly British, so the menu features dover sole, lobster, chicken and mushroom pie and aged prime rib. Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chicken.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English chiken, from Old English cicen young chicken; akin to Old English cocc cock

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chicken was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near chicken

Cite this Entry

“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chicken. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

chicken

1 of 3 noun
chick·​en ˈchik-ən How to pronounce chicken (audio)
1
: the common domestic fowl especially when young
also : its flesh used as food
2
: any of various birds or their young
3
: coward

chicken

2 of 3 adjective

chicken

3 of 3 verb
chickened; chickening ˈchik-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce chicken (audio)
: to lose one's courage
usually used with out

More from Merriam-Webster on chicken

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!