turkey

tur·key

noun \ˈtər-kē\

plural turkeys

Definition of TURKEY

1

plural also turkey : a large North American gallinaceous bird (Meleagris gallopavo) that is domesticated in most parts of the world

2

: failure, flop; especially : a theatrical production that has failed

3

: three successive strikes in bowling

4

: a stupid, foolish, or inept person

Examples of TURKEY

1. He was acting like a complete turkey.
2. <only a turkey would think it's a good idea to go for a jog when the weather drops below zero>

Illustration of TURKEY

Origin of TURKEY

Turkey, country in western Asia and southeastern Europe; from confusion with the guinea fowl, supposed to be imported from Turkish territory

First Known Use: 1555

Related to TURKEY

Synonyms

berk [British], booby, charlie (also charley) [British], cuckoo, ding-a-ling, dingbat, ding-dong, dipstick, doofus [slang], featherhead, git [British], goose, half-wit, jackass, lunatic, mooncalf, nincompoop, ninny, ninnyhammer, nit [chiefly British], nitwit, nut, nutcase, simp, simpleton, fool, yo-yo

Antonyms

brain, genius

Related Words

daredevil; madman, madwoman; airhead, birdbrain, blockhead, cretin, dodo, dolt, donkey, dope, dork [slang], dumbbell, dummy, dunce, fathead, gander, goon, half-wit, idiot, ignoramus, imbecile, know-nothing, knucklehead, moron, numskull (or numbskull), pinhead, schlub (also shlub) [slang], schlump [slang], schnook [slang], stock; featherbrain, scatterbrain; butt, dupe, laughingstock, mockery, monkey; chump, loser, schlemiel (also shlemiel); character, codger, crackbrain, crackpot, crank, kook, oddball, screwball, weirdo

Near Antonyms

sage, thinker; brain, genius

Other General Sports Terms

kegler, mulligan, rappel

Rhymes with TURKEY

jerky, murky, perky, smirky, Turkey

Tur·key

geographical name \ˈtər-kē\

Definition of TURKEY

country W Asia & SE Europe between Mediterranean & Black seas; formerly center of an empire (∗ Constantinople), since 1923 a republic ∗ Ankara area 301,380 square miles (780,574 square kilometers), pop 70,586,256 — see ottoman empire

Rhymes with TURKEY

jerky, murky, perky, smirky, turkey

turkey

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Male turkey.—Joe McDonald/Corbis

Either of two species of birds assigned to either of two families, Phasianidae or Meleagrididae. The North American common turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) has been domesticated since pre-Columbian times. The adult male has a featherless bright-red head, a fleshy red ornament (snood) growing over the bill, and a similar wattle on the throat. The male (gobbler or tom) may be 50 in. (1.3 m) long and may weigh over 20 lb (10 kg). Wild turkeys inhabit woodlands near water, eating seeds, insects, and an occasional frog or lizard. Males assemble a harem, and each hen lays 8–15 eggs in a hollow in the ground. An excellent source of meat and easily shot, the wild turkey was practically exterminated by European settlers; conservation efforts have reestablished it in much of its former range. The ocellated turkey (Agriocharis, or Meleagris, ocellata) of Central America has never been domesticated.