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chicken

chicken

678 1.0
A bird kept on farms for eggs and meat
  • noun
  • /ˈtʃɪkən/
: gallina
  • The farm had several chickens roaming freely in the yard.
  • chicken eggs
  • a chicken coop
  • a chicken farm

Then I remember the cats, rabbits, chickens and dogs of my childhood.

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Examples

  • There has always been chicken and waffles at IHOP.

  • Why did the chicken cross the road?

  • - But we had chicken yesterday.

  • All I know is we had three chickens this morning... and now I got one.

  • I thought of her husband without a job, of their chicken coop and what it might provide.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The main event, tajine of chicken.

  • Four of the patients had a history of contact with live chickens or visiting a live poultry market.

    Academic text (2013)
  • After the war, their mother took to raising chickens and pigeons in order to save money.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • So we are going to have chicken kofta wraps.

  • And the only time you show up around here is if I'm cooking a chicken or baking a bundt cake.

Synonyms

poultry
vschicken
22 1.6

Meat from birds like chickens, ducks and turkeys used for food

is the live animal kept for eggs and meat rather than its meat
fowl
vschicken
10 2.2

A bird like a chicken kept for eggs or meat

is the single species term rather than a broader group
chook
vschicken
  • Australian
5 9.1

A chicken kept for eggs or meat

is the standard neutral term rather than regional informal speech
domestic fowl
vschicken
1 2.8

Birds like chickens and ducks that people keep for eggs or meat

is the species identity rather than the process of taming or breeding

Idioms

to play chicken
  • Informal
14 8.8

Act dangerously to see who gives up first

1 9.9

To touch a man's penis to make him sexually excited

A person who thinks they are special and sometimes feels out of place

Compounds

37 1.0

The wing of a chicken cooked and eaten as a snack

37 1.0

A hot soup made with chicken and vegetables that people eat for comfort when sick

27 2.0

A contagious illness that causes an itchy red rash and blisters

26 1.0

A salad of cooked chicken mixed with mayonnaise, often with celery or grapes

A sandwich with cooked chicken between slices of bread

18 1.0

Chicken cooked in an oven until brown and served as a main meal

15 1.0

A clear warm liquid made by cooking chicken slowly to add flavor to soups

14 1.3

A small building where people keep chickens

14 1.7

A flavorful liquid made by simmering chicken meat, bones, and vegetables in water for soups and sauces

Chicken Little
  • Literature
9 8.1

A person who panics about small problems and warns others without reason

9 3.4

A light, flexible wire mesh with small six-sided holes used to make fences for chickens and gardens

spring chicken
  • Informal
6 6.7

A young person who has little experience, sometimes used with no to say someone is not young

A soup with pieces of chicken, noodles, and vegetables in hot chicken broth

5 1.0

The lower part of a chicken that people eat

4 2.8

Food given to chickens, usually dry mash

chicken feed
  • Informal
4 6.8

A very small amount of money that is not important

4 1.9

A place where people raise chickens for meat or eggs

A chicken raised outdoors with space to move around and find food

chicken scratch
  • Informal
4 8.4

Messy handwriting that is hard to read

A dish of chicken cooked in a spicy sauce often served with rice

A dish of rice cooked with pieces of chicken and mild seasonings, served warm

The liver of a chicken that people eat

3 8.0

A brown spotted bird that lives in North American grasslands and makes a low booming call during mating

An Italian chicken dish cooked in tomatoes, mushrooms, and herbs

A baked dish of chicken and vegetables cooked together in the oven

3 3.4

A boneless chicken breast filled with seasoned butter, rolled, breaded and fried

2 8.2

A hawk that eats or attacks chickens

2 1.0

A folded tortilla filled with cooked chicken and toppings like salsa and cheese

2 1.0

A dish of chicken pieces cooked slowly with vegetables in liquid

chicken hawk
  • Offensive
1 9.3

A person who supports war but never served in the military

1 9.6

A large brown bird that lives in North American grasslands and makes loud mating calls

A fertilizer made from chicken droppings that makes soil richer

The lower part of a chicken's leg that people cook and eat

A creamy pasta dish with chicken and mushrooms often topped with cheese

chicken breast
  • Archaic
1 8.2

A bone in the chest that sticks out, often in children with rickets

A chicken dish of thin slices rolled around ham and cheese then cooked

A Hungarian dish of chicken cooked in a paprika sauce with sour cream

chicken-heart
  • Offensive
1 8.9

A person who is easily frightened and avoids danger

A young chicken that is tender and good for roasting

Pieces of grilled chicken on a wooden stick sold as a quick snack

A Japanese dish of chicken covered in a sweet soy sauce and often grilled

1 8.2

A small grassland bird in western Texas and nearby areas that dances to attract mates

1 2.2

An enclosed outdoor area where chickens live and move

1 1.7

A yard where chickens are kept

A dish of chicken in broth with onions and paprika, usually served with sour cream

A smooth, creamy spread made from cooked chicken served as an appetizer

A smooth creamy spread made from chicken liver and served on toast

chicken sexer
  • Specialized
1 9.3

A person who tells if chicks are male or female

A dish of chicken cooked with onions and mushrooms in wine and tomato sauce

A sweet, spicy deep-fried chicken dish often served in Chinese-American restaurants

A small white vulture with a yellow face found in Africa and parts of Europe and Asia

An Italian chicken dish cooked with tomatoes, mushrooms, and herbs

1 7.4

A large harmless North American snake that eats birds and eggs

A small insect that lives on chickens and other birds and eats their blood

1 9.9

A chest where the breastbone sticks out

A dish of chicken cooked in a tomato, garlic, and olive oil sauce with herbs from Provence

1 9.9

A large goose with a long neck that often hisses or chases people

bin chicken
  • Australian
9.9

A white bird that looks for food in city bins

A thick rice stew with chicken from the southern United States

chicken roundworm
  • Specialized
7.8

A worm that lives in the intestines of chickens and other birds and makes them sick

A dish of chicken fried, baked, and served with milk gravy

A small seabird that flies low over the sea and often appears before storms

A chicken dish cooked with tomatoes, mushrooms, and herbs in an Italian style

How Domesticated

poultry
37 1.9
chicken
678 1.0
game bird
2 3.2

Surface Forms

chicken singular
chickens plural

Etymology

Chicken originally meant a 'young bird' and comes from an old English word like chick, which still means a 'baby bird'. So it became the name for the common farm bird kept for eggs and meat.