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 Neanderthals roasted brown crabs in Gruta da Figueira Brava ninety thousand years ago, genetic taint from chickens has disrupted the red jungle fowl genome, and Vikings brought over their own animals in addition to stealing them from Britons. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Apr. 2023 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 Most researchers believe that Gallus gallus, the red jungle fowl, was first domesticated in East or Southeast Asia. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2017 Ever since the red jungle fowl emerged from the forests of south-east Asia and hitched a ride on trading ships to spread around the globe, the story of the chicken has hewn close to our own. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 14 Oct. 2016 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 Biologist Charles Darwin first proposed that chickens may have descended from the red jungle fowl because of their similar appearances, per Science. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 June 2022 Chickens may be the most populous bird on the planet while their ancestor, the red jungle fowl, persists only in a few limited habitats. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 May 2022

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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1825, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jungle fowl was circa 1825

Dictionary Entries Near jungle fowl

Cite this Entry

“Jungle fowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jungle%20fowl. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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