Main Entry: ³chicken

Function: intransitive verb

Inflected Form(s): chick·ened; chick·en·ing \ˈchi-k^ən-iŋ, ˈchik-niŋ\

Date: 1943

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