prairie chicken

noun

Definition of prairie chicken

: a grouse (Tympanuchus cupido) chiefly of the tallgrass prairies of the central U.S. with the male having yellowish-orange neck sacs which are inflated during courtship displays; also : a closely related smaller grouse (T. pallidicinctus) having reddish neck sacs

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Recent Examples of prairie chicken from the Web

Great prairie chicken populations grew for the first time in decades (though more recent studies question the role of genetic rescue in this success), along with the Swedish adder, a venomous snake that had suffered from inbreeding.

— laura poppick, Smithsonian, "Threatened Species? Science to the (Genetic) Rescue!," 27 Apr. 2017

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