What does "poultry" mean?

1. (farm birds) birds such as chickens, ducks, and geese that people keep on farms. 2. (meat from birds) the meat from birds like chicken or turkey that you eat.

How do you use "poultry"?

Usually treated as a plural noun when referring to the birds themselves. Uncountable when referring to the meat as a food category.

poultry

US //ˈpoʊɫtɹi// UK //pˈəʊltɹi// poul·try

1 farm birds (n.)
B1 Intermediate

birds such as chickens, ducks, and geese that people keep on farms.

domesticated birds kept for agricultural production, typically for their meat or eggs.

Example

The farmer keeps various types of poultry, including thirty chickens and ten ducks.

Example

The outbreak of avian flu forced local authorities to restrict the movement of poultry between commercial farms in the region.

Usage

Usually treated as a plural noun when referring to the birds themselves.
- fowl
- domestic birds
2 meat from birds (n.)
B1 Intermediate Cooking

the meat from birds like chicken or turkey that you eat.

the flesh of domesticated birds used as food.

Example

I prefer eating poultry like chicken or turkey rather than red meat.

Example

The restaurant's menu features a wide selection of poultry, ranging from roasted duck to traditional grilled chicken breast.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the meat as a food category.
- bird meat
- white meat
- red meat

Origin

From Middle English pultrie, from Old French pouleterie, from poulet, diminutive of poule (“hen”), from Latin pullus (“chick”). For the development of Middle English /u/ to modern /oʊ/, /əʊ/ before /lt/, /ld/, /ln/, compare boult, boulder, colter/coulter, poultice, shoulder, won't.