chicken feed

noun

slang
: a paltry sum (as in profits or wages)

Examples of chicken feed in a Sentence

The project cost almost a million dollars, which isn't exactly chicken feed. Ten bucks? That's chicken feed!
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Mill is the only device that addresses this issue by allowing users to ship their grounds in a box via USPS to a farm in Washington state that repurposes them for chicken feed. Kat Merck, Wired News, 22 Apr. 2025 While the virus has put a significant dent in the supplies of caged and cage-free eggs, causing price hikes, inflation and the increasing cost of chicken feed and other inputs have also made eggs more expensive. Pete & Gerry's Contributor, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025 For noncommittal backyard chicken owners, Rent The Chicken offersdelivery and setup up of a coop, two to four young egg-laying hens, chicken feed, and food dishes for a five-to-six month rental period. Carly Mallenbaum, Axios, 15 Feb. 2025 In contrast, chicken feed is made up of corn and soybeans, whose fertilizer, pesticides, and soil additives all rack up carbon-dioxide emissions. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 8 Jan. 2025 Zoom in: Rent The Chicken offers delivery and setup of a coop on wheels, two or four young egg-laying hens, chicken feed and food dishes for a five-to-six-month rental period in the Pittsburgh region. Carly Mallenbaum, Axios, 19 Feb. 2025 Zoom in: Rent The Chicken offers delivery and setup up of a coop on wheels, two or four young egg-laying hens, chicken feed, and food dishes for a five-to-six month rental period in D.C. and its suburbs. Carly Mallenbaum, Axios, 25 Feb. 2025 Meijer Food Recalls: Full List of Products Impacted Marburg Bat Virus With 88% Fatality Rate Has Spread to Another Country The flock was likely infected when wild birds came into contact with the chicken feed used on the farm. John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025 In contrast, chicken feed is made up of corn and soybeans, whose fertilizer, pesticides, and soil additives all rack up carbon-dioxide emissions. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chicken feed was in 1834

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Cite this Entry

“Chicken feed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chicken%20feed. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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