plural chickens
1
a
: the common domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) especially when young
also
: its flesh used as food compare jungle fowl
b
: any of various birds or their young
2
: a young woman
3
a
: coward
b
: any of various contests in which the participants risk personal safety in order to see which one will give up first
4
[short for chickenshit] slang
: petty details
5
slang
: a young or youthful gay man
also
: a boy or young man regarded as an object of sexual interest especially by a man compare chicken hawk sense 3
2
chickened; chickening
ˈchi-kᵊn-iŋ 
ˈchik-niŋ
: to lose one's nerve
—usually used with out
seemed to exhibit courage, manliness, and conviction when others chickened out—
J. R. Seeley
J. R. SeeleyExamples of chicken in a Sentence
Noun
We had chicken for dinner.
It's just a spider, you chicken!
Don't be such a big chicken.
Adjective
too chicken to go through with the stunt
just concentrate on the important duties of the job and forget about the chicken stuff
Recent Examples on the Web
Ana Morales, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2025
Pickle and chicken lovers rejoice: Fast food chain Popeyes is bringing a very special menu to restaurants this year.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Apr. 2025
The Philadelphia Zoo compared the weight to that of a chicken egg.
—Michael Nied, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
As of Thursday, March 27, a 9.14-pound package of boneless skinless chicken breasts cost $27.33 — costing $2.99 per pound.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicken
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Noun
Lunch: turkey or chicken skewers with bell pepper, onion, zucchini, and tomato served with basmati rice.
—Ana Morales, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2025
Pickle and chicken lovers rejoice: Fast food chain Popeyes is bringing a very special menu to restaurants this year.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Apr. 2025
The Philadelphia Zoo compared the weight to that of a chicken egg.
—Michael Nied, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
As of Thursday, March 27, a 9.14-pound package of boneless skinless chicken breasts cost $27.33 — costing $2.99 per pound.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chicken. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chicken
2 of 3 adjectivechicken
3 of 3 verb
chickened; chickening
ˈchik-(ə-)niŋ
: to lose one's courage
—usually used with out
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