chicken

1 of 3

noun

chick·​en ˈchi-kᵊn 

sometimes -kᵊŋ

plural chickens

1

a

: the common domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) especially when young

also : its flesh used as food compare jungle fowl

b

: any of various birds or their young

2

: a young woman

3

a

: coward

b

: any of various contests in which the participants risk personal safety in order to see which one will give up first

4

[short for chickenshit] slang : petty details

5

slang : a young or youthful gay man

also : a boy or young man regarded as an object of sexual interest especially by a man compare chicken hawk sense 3

chicken

2 of 3

adjective

1

a

: scared

b

: timid, cowardly

2

slang

a

: insistent on petty details of duty or discipline

b

: petty, unimportant

chicken

3 of 3

verb

chickened; chickening ˈchi-kᵊn-iŋ 

ˈchik-niŋ

intransitive verb

: to lose one's nerve

—usually used with out

… seemed to exhibit courage, manliness, and conviction when others chickened out.

—J. R. Seeley

Synonyms of chicken

Noun

• coward

Adjective

• yellow
• afraid
• scared
• frightened
• cowardly
• careful
• chickenhearted
• pusillanimous
• spineless
• craven
• milk-livered
• gutless

Examples of chicken in a Sentence

Noun

We had chicken for dinner.

It's just a spider, you chicken!

Don't be such a big chicken.

Adjective

too chicken to go through with the stunt

just concentrate on the important duties of the job and forget about the chicken stuff

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Chicken Bacon Protein Pocket features toasted whole-wheat lavash filled with chicken, bacon and a creamy garlic-herb cheese spread. — Sacbee.com, 16 Aug. 2026

Niman later founded Bill Niman Farm LP, which raises grass-fed cows and chickens. — Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Guests can also order grill kits, which include either steak or chicken along with green beans, mac and cheese, and baked beans, all to be cooked on your private grill. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026

At Tasting Kitchen, that looks like a roast chicken plated with chontaduro, the peach palm fruit eaten as a street food and used in stuffings across Colombia. — David Hochman, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English chiken, from Old English cicen young chicken; akin to Old English cocc cock

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1931, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing chicken

• chicken-and-egg
• chicken colonel
• chicken coop
• chicken-coop jump
• chicken feed
• chicken-fried steak
• chicken hawk
• chicken-livered
• chicken mushroom
• chicken noodle soup
• chicken-of-the-woods
• chicken out
• chicken pox
• chicken snake
• chicken soup
• chicken wire
• like a chicken with its head cut off
• Mother Carey's chicken
• popcorn chicken/shrimp
• prairie chicken
• rubber-chicken
• running around like a chicken with its head cut off
• spring chicken

Rhymes for chicken

• likin
• quicken
• sicken
• stricken
• thicken
• indican

Kids Definition

chicken

1 of 3 noun

chick·​en ˈchik-ən 

1

: the common domestic fowl especially when young

also : its flesh used as food

2

: any of various birds or their young

3

: coward

chicken

2 of 3 adjective

: cowardly sense 1

chicken

3 of 3 verb

chickened; chickening ˈchik-(ə-)niŋ 

: to lose one's courage

—usually used with out