What does "chicken" mean?
A domesticated subspecies of red junglefowl (Gallus gallus domesticus).
Chicken
/ˈt͡ʃɪkɪn/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A domesticated subspecies of red junglefowl (Gallus gallus domesticus).
- Grammar: chicken is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: afraid, ancona, andalusian, anemic.
- Useful contrasts: fearless, beef, bold.
- Usage evidence: Roast chicken is one of my favorite dishes.
How to use "chicken"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "chicken" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "chicken" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "chicken" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "chicken" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "chicken" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "afraid" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "chicken", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A domesticated subspecies of red junglefowl (Gallus gallus domesticus). countable
"backyard chickens"
- 2 plural of chick UK, dialectal, form-of, obsolete, plural
"The 21 or 22 day the Chicken are hatch'd; […]"
- 3 a domestic fowl bred for flesh or eggs; believed to have been developed from the red jungle fowl wordnet
- 4 The meat from this bird eaten as food. uncountable
"boneless chicken"
- 5 a foolhardy competition; a dangerous activity that is continued until one competitor becomes afraid and stops wordnet
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 The young of any bird; a chick. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"There they are – four ugly little chickens, a bit more than half-feathered, and all gaping mouths and bare bellies."
- 7 the flesh of a chicken used for food wordnet
- 8 A coward. countable, derogatory, slang, sometimes
"'Why, what a chicken you are! You are not afraid of being robbed; are you?' said Jonas."
- 9 a person who lacks confidence, is irresolute and wishy-washy wordnet
- 10 A young or inexperienced person. countable, derogatory, slang, sometimes
"Purſue your trade of ſcandal-picking, Your hints, that Stella is no chicken: Your innuendos, when you tell us, That Stella loves to talk with fellows; […]"
- 11 A young, attractive, slim man, usually having little body hair; compare chickenhawk. Polari, countable
"Europe's Favorite Gay Newspaper has something for you! Handsome studs, Tender Chicken, and lots of Male Nudes!"
- 12 The game of dare. uncountable
- 13 The game of dare.; A confrontational game in which the participants move toward each other at high speed (usually in automobiles); the player who turns first to avoid colliding into the other is the "chicken" (that is, the loser). countable, uncountable
"Don't play chicken with a freight train; you're guaranteed to lose."
- 14 A simple dance in which the movements of a chicken are imitated. countable, uncountable
- 15 A kilogram of cocaine. US, countable, slang, uncountable
"Up early in the morning trappin' (Trap-trap) You can get 'em how you askin' (Ask) How many chickens? You can get 'em whichever way Nigga, trap turned Zaxby's (Zax)"
- 16 A small pewter pot used in a tavern. countable, obsolete, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To avoid a situation one is afraid of. intransitive
"For the umpteenth time, I chickened."
Adjective
- 1 Cowardly. derogatory, informal, sometimes
"Why do you refuse to fight? Huh, I guess you're just too chicken."
Adjective
- 1 easily frightened wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A census-designated place in Alaska.
Example
"Roast chicken is one of my favorite dishes."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "chicken"?
Common synonyms include: afraid, ancona, andalusian, anemic, asthenic, auntie.
How do you use "chicken" in a sentence?
Roast chicken is one of my favorite dishes.
How do you pronounce "chicken"?
Pronounced /ˈt͡ʃɪkɪn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English chiken (also as chike > English chick), from Old English ċicen, ċycen (“chicken”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Proto-West Germanic *kiukīn (“chicken”), or alternatively from Proto-West Germanic *kukkīn, equivalent to cock + -en. Compare North Frisian schückling (“chicken”), Saterland Frisian Sjuuken (“chicken”), Dutch kuiken (“chick, chicken”), German Low German Küken (“chick”), whence German Küken (“chick”), (elevated, obsolete) German Küchlein (“chick”) and Old Norse kjúklingr (“chicken”).
Etymology 2
Shortening of chicken out.
Etymology 3
From chick + -en (plural ending).
Etymology 4
Chosen instead of ptarmigan (a common local bird) because of a dispute over the correct spelling.