jungle fowl
noun
: any of several Asian wild birds (genus Gallus) related to the pheasants
especially
: a bird (G. gallus) of southeastern Asia from which domestic chickens have probably descended
Examples of jungle fowl in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Until recently, it was fairly widely accepted that people were breeding jungle fowl in Asia as far back as 10,000 years ago.
—
Rachel Feltman,
Popular Science,
19 July 2023
In 2020, a study confirmed that the living chicken’s ancestor was the jungle fowl subspecies, Gallus gallus spaedicus, narrowing the area of domestication to Southeast Asia.
—
Elizabeth Gamillo,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 June 2022
The bloody pastime may actually explain why jungle fowl were raised in captivity in the first place, perhaps giving rise to the domestic chicken.
—
Richard Pallardy,
Discover Magazine,
14 July 2021
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Rachel Feltman,
Popular Science,
19 July 2023
In 2020, a study confirmed that the living chicken’s ancestor was the jungle fowl subspecies, Gallus gallus spaedicus, narrowing the area of domestication to Southeast Asia.
—
Elizabeth Gamillo,
Smithsonian Magazine,
8 June 2022
The bloody pastime may actually explain why jungle fowl were raised in captivity in the first place, perhaps giving rise to the domestic chicken.
—
Richard Pallardy,
Discover Magazine,
14 July 2021
Cite this Entry
“Jungle fowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jungle%20fowl. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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