chicken coop

noun

plural chicken coops
1
: a coop (especially a cage or small building) for housing chickens
2
sometimes chicken-coop jump : a usually wooden obstacle having an A-shaped frame that is used in horse jumping and traditionally in fox hunting to protect horses from wire fences

Word History

First Known Use

1687, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chicken coop was in 1687

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Cite this Entry

“Chicken coop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chicken%20coop. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Entry added
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