turkey

noun

tur·​key ˈtər-kē 

plural turkeys

1

plural also turkey : a large North American gallinaceous bird (Meleagris gallopavo) that is domesticated in most parts of the world

also : its flesh used as food

2

: failure, flop

especially : a theatrical production that has failed

3

: three successive strikes in bowling

4

: a stupid, foolish, or inept person

Illustration of turkey

• turkey 1

Synonyms of turkey

• goose
• fool
• lunatic
• maniac
• nut

Examples of turkey in a Sentence

He was acting like a complete turkey.

only a turkey would think it's a good idea to go for a jog when the weather drops below zero

Recent Examples on the Web

Weeks before, Lopez celebrated Thanksgiving with her loved ones, cooking a massive turkey with her teen Emme and showing off a delicious dinner spread. —Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 26 Dec. 2025

Christmas dinner may conjure visions of a table with a turkey platter, bowls brimming with sides like mashed potatoes, and a coconut cake on a pedestal. —Yolande Clark-Jackson, Parents, 23 Dec. 2025

The open-faced sandwich — which traditionally features toast, turkey, bacon, Mornay sauce, tomatoes, and lots of hot, bubbly cheese — originated at The Brown Hotel in 1926. —Lennie Omalza, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Dec. 2025

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, prix-fixe, three-course meals -- choice of prime rib, roasted turkey or ham, complete with soup or salad, cornbread muffin and a slice of pumpkin pie -- while supplies last. —Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 23 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Turkey, country in western Asia and southeastern Europe; from confusion with the guinea fowl, supposed to be imported from Turkish territory

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing turkey

• cold turkey
• talk turkey
• turkey-cock
• turkey oak
• turkey shoot
• turkey trot
• turkey vulture
• water turkey

Rhymes for turkey

• jerky
• murky
• perky
• quirky
• turki

Kids Definition

turkey

noun

tur·​key ˈtər-kē 

plural turkeys

1

plural also turkey : a large North American bird that is related to the domestic chicken and is domesticated in most parts of the world

2

: something that is a failure

the new play was a turkey

3

: a stupid or foolish person

Etymology

from turkey-cock, an old word for "guinea fowl," from Turkey, a country in Asia Minor; so called because at one time people thought guinea fowl came from Turkey

Word Origin

The bird we now call the guinea fowl was once called the turkey. Turkey was the shortened version of turkey-cock and turkey-hen. The guinea fowl's original home was in Africa. However, Europeans discovered that it was good to eat and did well in captivity, so they brought it back to Europe. Some people mistakenly thought that the birds came from Turkey, and the name stuck. Later, when English settlers first arrived in America, they found a large bird living here that was also good to eat. They called this new bird turkey because it reminded them of the turkey they were familiar with back in Europe.

Geographical Definition

Turkey

geographical name

Tur·​key ˈtər-kē 

variants or now officially Türkiye

ˌtᵫr-kē-ˈye 

country in western Asia and southeastern Europe between the Mediterranean and Black seas; capital Ankara area 302,535 square miles (783,562 square kilometers), population 81,257,000 see ottoman empire

Note: Turkey was formerly the center of an empire whose capital was Constantinople. Since 1923 it has been a republic.

see also turk sense 1