fowl

noun \ ˈfau̇(-ə)l \

|Updated on: 4 Aug 2018

Examples: fowl in a Sentence

Definition of fowl

plural fowl or fowls

1 : a bird of any kind — compare waterfowl, wildfowl

2 a : a cock or hen of the domestic chicken (Gallus gallus); especially : an adult hen

b : any of several domesticated (see ¹domesticate 2) or wild gallinaceous birds — compare guinea fowl, jungle fowl

3 : the meat of fowls used as food

roasted fowl

See fowl defined for English-language learners

See fowl defined for kids

Examples of fowl in a Sentence

I spotted a long-legged fowl by the water's edge.

Recent Examples of fowl from the Web

Back in August 2017, this fowl statement on the president made waves when it was displayed in Washington D.C., on the Ellipse, not far from the Washington Monument.

— julie hinds, Detroit Free Press, "Does London's Baby Trump deserve spot among 5 best Trump parodies?," 6 July 2018
The juxtaposition — robust muscleman and gawky fowl — is a wonderfully sarcastic rebuke to Plato’s description of humans as featherless bipeds.

— christopher knight, latimes.com, "Out of the shadows and into the light: 'Chiaroscuro Woodcut' is a sleeper hit at LACMA," 5 July 2018
Williams said personal pet owners should not try to use their own dogs to shoo away the water fowl, as injuring a bird can result in a hefty fine.

— linda girardi, Aurora Beacon-News, "Fox Valley Park District calls in the dogs to control goose population," 27 June 2018
Although fans won't be able to bring their chickens into the stadium, the agency did announce that surrounding areas will be friendly to fowl.

— julia poe, SI.com, "Nigeria’s Lucky Chickens Banned From World Cup Stadiums," 15 June 2018
The custom still takes place each July, although now only to count the fowl and check their health.

— amy crawford, Smithsonian, "An Artistic Reimagining of London’s Past in ‘Old River Thames’," 28 June 2018
Oh, June and your fellow fowls, you will be missed.

— michael harriot, The Root, "I Wanted to Attend This Vigil For a Dead Chicken Just to Say I Was At The Whitest Thing That Ever Happened," 12 June 2018
Pasta variations were usually available alongside entrees that included lobster, filet mignon, fish and fowl — all quite satisfying except for one minor demerit when crab cakes came out with a slight mushy fishy taste.

— si liberman, San Antonio Express-News, "Living it up on MSC Seaside’s ship within a ship," 5 June 2018
Russian officials in Kaliningrad are calling fowl on a Nigerian tradition of bringing good luck tokens to soccer matches.

— julia poe, SI.com, "Nigeria’s Lucky Chickens Banned From World Cup Stadiums," 15 June 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of fowl

Middle English foul, from Old English fugel; akin to Old High German fogal bird, and probably to Old English flēogan to fly — more at fly

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Birds Terms

aerie, bunting, clutch, covey, hackle, ratite, rictus, ruff, skein, zygodactyl

fowl

verb

Definition of fowl

fowled; fowling; fowls

intransitive verb

: to seek, catch, or kill wildfowl

Recent Examples of fowl from the Web

Games include fowling — a game that combines football and bowling — as well as table tennis, foosball, air hockey and more.

— robert philpot, star-telegram.com, "Hanging out at 12 new patios in and around Fort Worth," 17 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of fowl

see ¹fowl

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Hunting and Fishing Terms

chum, covert, creel, flense, pitfall, seine, skulk, spoor, trawl

FOWL Defined for English Language Learners

fowl

noun

Definition of fowl for English Language Learners

: a bird (such as a chicken) that is raised for food
: the meat of such a bird used as food
: a bird of any kind

FOWL Defined for Kids

fowl

noun \ ˈfau̇l \

Definition of fowl for Students

plural fowl or fowls

1 : bird

wild fowls

2 : a common domestic rooster or hen

3 : the meat of a domestic fowl used as food

Headscratcher for fowl

Remove the first letter of fowl and you get an example of one: owl!

Learn More about fowl

See words that rhyme with fowl Spanish Central: Translation of fowl Nglish: Translation of fowl for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of fowl for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fowl

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fowl

Definition of fowl

Examples of fowl in a Sentence

Recent Examples of fowl from the Web

Origin and Etymology of fowl

Other Birds Terms

fowl

Definition of fowl

Recent Examples of fowl from the Web

Origin and Etymology of fowl

Other Hunting and Fishing Terms

FOWL Defined for English Language Learners

fowl

Definition of fowl for English Language Learners

FOWL Defined for Kids

fowl

Definition of fowl for Students

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