Chicken: meaning, definitions and examples

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chicken

 

[ หˆtสƒษชkษชn ]

Noun / Verb
Oxford 3000
Context #1 | Noun

animal

A domestic fowl kept for its eggs or meat, especially a young one.

Synonyms

hen, poultry, rooster

Examples of usage

  • The farmer raised chickens for their eggs.
  • We had roast chicken for dinner last night.
Context #2 | Noun

cowardice

A person who is afraid or lacks courage.

Synonyms

chickenhearted, coward, wimp

Examples of usage

  • Don't be such a chicken, stand up for yourself!
  • He refused to go bungee jumping, calling him a chicken.
Context #3 | Noun

food

The flesh of a chicken used as food.

Synonyms

bird, fowl, poultry

Examples of usage

  • My favorite dish is chicken curry.
  • Would you like some fried chicken?
Context #4 | Noun

slang

A young gay man seeking older men as partners.

Synonyms

gay youth, young homosexual man

Examples of usage

  • He is considered a chicken because he prefers older companions.
  • The term 'chicken hawk' refers to an older man seeking younger partners.
Context #5 | Verb

cowardice

To fail to face a difficulty or danger due to fear.

Synonyms

back out, retreat, shy away

Examples of usage

  • He chickened out of the dare and didn't jump.
  • She chicken-hearted and couldn't confront the situation.

Translations

Translations of the word "chicken" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น frango

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคฎเฅเคฐเฅเค—เคพ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Huhn

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ ayam

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะบัƒั€ะบะฐ

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ kurczak

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ้ถ

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท poulet

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ pollo

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท tavuk

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ๋‹ญ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุฏุฌุงุฌุฉ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ kuล™e

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ kurฤa

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ้ธก

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ piลกฤanec

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ kjรบklingur

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ั‚ะฐัƒั‹า›

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒฅแƒแƒ—แƒแƒ›แƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ toyuq

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ pollo

Etymology

The word 'chicken' comes from the Old English word 'cycen', which means young fowl. Chickens were domesticated over 8,000 years ago in Southeast Asia. They are one of the most widespread and common domestic animals, with billions raised annually for their meat and eggs. The term 'chicken' is also used colloquially to refer to cowardice, and in slang, it has a different meaning related to young gay men.

See also: chick.

Word Frequency Rank

At #5,182 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.