What does "chicken" mean?

1. (the bird) a common farm bird that people keep for its eggs and meat. 2. (the meat) the meat from a chicken used as food. 3. (a coward) someone who is afraid to do something. 4. (game of dare) a game where two people do something dangerous to see who gets scared first. 5. (cowardly) being afraid or not brave. 6. (to back out) to decide not to do something because you are afraid.

chicken — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01the bird

A1 · Beginner Countable noun

n. a common farm bird that people keep for its eggs and meat.

n. a domesticated subspecies of red junglefowl, Gallus gallus domesticus, typically raised for egg production or meat.

“The farmer has twenty chickens that wander around the yard every morning.”

“The local cooperative focuses on heritage breeds of chicken, arguing that they are more resilient to the regional climate than industrial varieties.”

Synonyms

hen rooster fowl

02the meat

A1 · Beginner Uncountable noun Cooking

n. the meat from a chicken used as food.

n. the flesh of the chicken used as a culinary protein. Uncountable in this sense.

“We are having roasted chicken with potatoes for dinner tonight.”

“The chef recommended marinating the chicken in lemon and herbs for several hours to ensure the meat remained tender during the high-heat roasting process.”

Synonyms

poultry

03a coward

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Informal

n. someone who is afraid to do something.

n. a person perceived as lacking courage or being easily intimidated. Countable; often used as a derogatory label in informal speech.

“Don't be such a chicken — the water isn't even that cold.”

“He was tired of being called a chicken by his peers, so he finally agreed to go on the steepest roller coaster in the park.”

Synonyms

coward wimp

Antonyms

hero

04game of dare

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Informal

n. a game where two people do something dangerous to see who gets scared first.

n. a game or situation in which two parties engage in a dangerous activity to see which one will yield or withdraw first.

“The two drivers were playing a dangerous game of chicken on the narrow road.”

“The trade negotiations devolved into a high-stakes game of chicken, with neither nation willing to lower tariffs until the other made the first move.”

Synonyms

dare

05cowardly

B1 · Intermediate Informal

adj. being afraid or not brave.

adj. exhibiting a lack of courage; cowardly. Used predicatively or before a noun in informal registers.

“He was too chicken to ask her for a dance.”

“Despite his tough exterior, he admitted he was too chicken to watch the horror movie alone in the dark.”

Synonyms

cowardly fearful

Antonyms

brave courageous

06to back out

B1 · Intermediate Informal

v. to decide not to do something because you are afraid.

v. to withdraw from a commitment or situation due to fear or loss of nerve. Usually appears as the phrasal verb 'chicken out'.

“I was going to go skydiving, but I chickened out at the last minute.”

“She had planned to confront her manager about the unpaid overtime, but she chickened out when she saw how busy the office was.”

Usage

Usually used with 'out' as 'chicken out'.

Synonyms

withdraw back out

Antonyms

proceed

From Middle English chiken (also as chike > English chick), from Old English ċicen, ċycen (“chicken”), 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”), (elevated, obsolete) German Küchlein (“chick”) and Old Norse kjúklingr (“chicken”).

Shortening of chicken out.

From chick + -en (plural ending).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

broiler egg marinate poultry