turkey

noun

tur·​key ˈtər-kē How to pronounce turkey (audio)
plural turkeys
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

Illustration of turkey

Illustration of turkey
  • turkey 1

Examples of turkey in a Sentence

He was acting like a complete turkey. only a turkey would think it's a good idea to go for a jog when the weather drops below zero
Recent Examples on the Web Today, Kentuckians enjoy some of the best whitetail deer and wild turkey hunting in the country. Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 14 Mar. 2024 The state’s Division of Wildlife Resources sells 200 permits for opportunities to hunt everything from desert bighorn sheep to wild turkeys, for $5 a pop, and permits are drawn from the total number sold. Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 13 Mar. 2024 The internal documents reviewed by Reuters reveal that under the new policy, Panera allows for some of its pork and turkey products to contain antibiotics and for its chicken and cattle to come from suppliers who use feed containing animal products. Angela L. Pagán / The Takeout, Quartz, 11 Mar. 2024 The turkey and brown sugar bacon variety also starts at $6.69 and is made with sliced turkey, brown sugar bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and Dijon spread, Arby’s said. Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024 On the plus side, one of those accessories is unique and sure to be a hit with kids: A realistic turkey with removable legs to share with friends. Katrina Cossey, Parents, 1 Mar. 2024 Stamey also admitted to poaching a bearded hen turkey in 2022 and not checking it in with TWRA. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 29 Feb. 2024 In other words, a mixture of mainly turkeys and a couple of blockbusters that hopefully will pay for all the clinkers and then some. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 More big stories Toys, turkeys and grants: How backers and critics of the Dodger Stadium gondola are wooing locals. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'turkey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of turkey was in 1555

Dictionary Entries Near turkey

Cite this Entry

“Turkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turkey. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

turkey

noun
tur·​key ˈtər-kē How to pronounce turkey (audio)
plural turkeys
1
plural also turkey : a large North American bird that is related to the domestic chicken and is domesticated in most parts of the world
2
: something that is a failure
the new play was a turkey
3
: a stupid or foolish person
Etymology

from turkey-cock, an old word for "guinea fowl," from Turkey, a country in Asia Minor; so called because at one time people thought guinea fowl came from Turkey

Word Origin
The bird we now call the guinea fowl was once called the turkey. Turkey was the shortened version of turkey-cock and turkey-hen. The guinea fowl's original home was in Africa. However, Europeans discovered that it was good to eat and did well in captivity, so they brought it back to Europe. Some people mistakenly thought that the birds came from Turkey, and the name stuck. Later, when English settlers first arrived in America, they found a large bird living here that was also good to eat. They called this new bird turkey because it reminded them of the turkey they were familiar with back in Europe.

Geographical Definition

Turkey

geographical name

Tur·​key ˈtər-kē How to pronounce Turkey (audio)
variants or now officially Türkiye
country in western Asia and southeastern Europe between the Mediterranean and Black seas; capital Ankara area 302,535 square miles (783,562 square kilometers), population 81,257,000 see ottoman empire

Note: Turkey was formerly the center of an empire whose capital was Constantinople. Since 1923 it has been a republic.

see also turk sense 1

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