poultry

noun

poul·​try ˈpōl-trē How to pronounce poultry (audio)
: domesticated birds kept for eggs or meat

Examples of poultry in a Sentence

This wine goes well with poultry.
Recent Examples on the Web That’s right, cicadas, like many insects, have been hailed as an eco-friendly and high-protein alternative to poultry and cattle. Koh Ewe, TIME, 19 Apr. 2024 The risk is heightened for people who work with infected poultry or livestock, and for veterinarians who treat infected animals. Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024 Who Should Not Take Collagen? Those with beef, fish, or poultry allergies may have a reaction to collagen supplements. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024 Meat Sweats’ Bird Bath will keep poultry tender and juicy while smoking. Lauren Finney Harden, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2024 The Labor Department has investigated other poultry processing plants in California in recent months. Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024 Avian flu is caused by infection with avian influenza Type A viruses, which naturally spread among wild aquatic birds and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species. Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024 The Best Tips and Tricks for Peeling Hard-Boiled Eggs The biggest concern is Salmonella, which can be carried by chickens and other poultry. Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024 That person was involved in slaughtering poultry presumed to be infected, and later reported feeling fatigued. Li Cohen, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pultrie, from Anglo-French pulletrie, from pulleter poulterer, from pullet chicken — more at pullet

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poultry was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near poultry

Cite this Entry

“Poultry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poultry. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

poultry

noun
poul·​try ˈpōl-trē How to pronounce poultry (audio)
: domesticated birds kept for eggs or meat
Etymology

Middle English pultrie "fowl raised for food," from early French pulletrie (same meaning), from pulleter "one who raises poultry," from pullet "chicken" — related to pullet

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!