chicken

noun

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chick·en | \ ˈchi-kᵊn

, sometimes -kᵊŋ \

plural chickens

Definition of chicken

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : 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

3a : 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 gay boy or man

chicken

adjective

Definition of chicken (Entry 2 of 3)

1a : scared

b : timid, cowardly

2 slang

a : insistent on petty details of duty or discipline

b : petty, unimportant

chicken

verb

chickened; chickening\ ˈchi-kᵊn-iŋ

, ˈchik-niŋ \

Definition of chicken (Entry 3 of 3)

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 & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More About chicken

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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 Honesty in business can seem like a chicken-and-egg dilemma: Which is more important: environment or personal action? — Liz Kislik, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2021 Her chicken’s rib cage rises and falls at a rapid rate. — Olga Tokarczuk, The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2021 Entree selections include Chilean sea bass with chorizo and roasted parsnip puree; Mary’s half chicken with acorn squash puree and fingerling potatoes; and pork osso bucco with potato risotto and roasted turnip. — Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 13 Sep. 2021 Dredge chicken in the sesame mixture to fully coat and set aside. — Christian Reynoso, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Sep. 2021 The ticket price of $45 per person (member and non-member) includes chicken, potato, corn on the cob, clam chowder and one signature drink. — Sam Boyer, cleveland, 10 Sep. 2021 Dishes will include Wagyu steak with lapsang souchong (black tea) and Apicius (Roman-style) roasted chicken with garam (Indian spices). — San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2021 Savory with garlic, ginger and soy sauce, the marinade works just as well on chicken, pork, tempeh and mushrooms. — Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2021 Private investors are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into building chargers, but the business suffers from a chicken-and-egg problem: Sales of electric cars are not growing fast enough to make charging profitable. — New York Times, 7 Sep. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective And then the Congress and the Postal Administration were just too chicken to do it. — Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2020 Maria cut chicken thighs shoulder to shoulder with co-workers who coughed and ran fevers. — USA Today, 22 May 2020 Popcorn and chicken wing stands were open, though fewer than on a normal day. — Bloomberg.com, 10 May 2020 And thus, our long, arduous, chicken parm journey began. — Molly Baz, Bon Appétit, 1 May 2020 End Zone’s top-sellers include chicken wing, pizza and draft beer, Lowe says. — Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, 31 Jan. 2020 The enormous online marketplace sells salsas, Bloody Mary mixes, chicken wing sauces, barbecue sauces, and of course, hot sauces. — Hilary Cadigan, Bon Appétit, 2 Mar. 2020 Previously that University building was home to German restaurant Schnitzel Ranch and chicken-wing eateries Beauregard's and Bob Baumhower's. — Matt Wake | Mwake@al.com, al, 31 Jan. 2020 This is the recipe worth stocking up for when chicken thighs go on sale. — Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Losekamp speaks many languages, from Arabic and Latin to chicken, cow and sheep. — Sarah Michels, The Enquirer, 14 Aug. 2021 Savas rhapsodizes about shopping at a konbini early on, trying a dish called chiki, which is boneless chicken from a hot box. — Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2021 Your Hometown sold cheese steaks and chicken Parmesan in a concrete building with red awnings about 20 miles south of Philadelphia. — New York Times, 2 June 2021 The restaurant served scallion pancakes, sweet and sour pork ribs and kung pao chicken out of a restored 1920s era home. — Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 24 Aug. 2021 Add chicken back to skillet and continue to cook another 3 to 4 minutes. — Darlene Zimmerman, Detroit Free Press, 15 Aug. 2021 Savas rhapsodizes about shopping at a konbini early on, trying a dish called chiki, which is boneless chicken from a hot box. — Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2021 Cargill is one of the nation’s largest producers of beef, turkey and soon-to-be chicken. — al, 9 Aug. 2021 An adaptable staple of Korean cuisine, bulgogi is most often made from thin slices of marinated and grilled beef (though sometimes pork and less commonly chicken). — New York Times, 23 July 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chicken.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.