chicken

Meanings

Noun

• A domesticated type of red junglefowl, Gallus gallus domesticus, especially when young.
• The meat from this bird eaten as food.
• The young of any bird; a chick.
• A coward.
• A young or inexperienced person.
• A young, attractive, slim man, usually having little body hair; compare chickenhawk.
• The game of dare.
• A simple dance in which the movements of a chicken are imitated.
• A kilogram of cocaine.
• Plural of chick

Adjective

• Cowardly.

Verb

• To avoid a situation one is afraid of.

Related

Similar words

• biddy, chook
• spring chicken
• twink

Narrower meaning words

• cock, cockerel, rooster , hen , chick , broiler

Origin

• From Middle English chiken (also as chike > English chick), from Old English ċicen, ċycen, of uncertain origin. Possibly from Proto-West Germanic *kiukīn ("chicken"), or alternatively from Proto-West Germanic *kukkīn, equivalent to cock + -en. Compare North Frisian schückling ("chicken"), Saterland Frisian Sjuuken ("chicken"), Dutch kuiken ("chick, chicken"), German Low German Küken ("chick"), whence German Küken ("chick"), German Küchlein ("chick") and Old Norse kjúklingr ("chicken").
• Shortening of chicken out.
• From chick + -en.