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. SeeleySynonyms
Examples 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
Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025
Topics include: chicken breeds, raising chicks, designing coops and pens, and chicken health and nutrition.
—Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2025
Some of our favorite dishes ordered included the Black Miso Cod, the chicken tobanyaki and the mochi trilogy.
—Rachel Dube, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Known as the commissary, the kitchen is where all of Erewhon’s TikTok-famous hot bar and tonic bar menu items — buffalo cauliflower, coconut chicken tenders, kale salads and gluten-free coconut chaga brownies — are prepped before being delivered to its grocery stores around 5 every morning.
—Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for chicken 
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Noun
Last week, a poultry plant in Georgia had to shut down after multiple chickens tested positive.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2025
Topics include: chicken breeds, raising chicks, designing coops and pens, and chicken health and nutrition.
—Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2025
Some of our favorite dishes ordered included the Black Miso Cod, the chicken tobanyaki and the mochi trilogy.
—Rachel Dube, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Known as the commissary, the kitchen is where all of Erewhon’s TikTok-famous hot bar and tonic bar menu items — buffalo cauliflower, coconut chicken tenders, kale salads and gluten-free coconut chaga brownies — are prepped before being delivered to its grocery stores around 5 every morning.
—Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for chicken
Dictionary Entries Near chicken
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chicken. Accessed 30 Jan. 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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