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 WebThe Enquirer, 23 Apr. 2024
Read Next Restaurants in Miami and Miami Beach named best spots for fried chicken in the U.S.
April 18, 2024 4:30 AM
Quiet Harrison Street is a world away from trendy Miami, and that’s how Sealey, who lives close to the restaurant in Hollywood Lakes, prefers it.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chicken 
Noun
The chicken liver pate ($11) was rich, creamy and farmhouse-y.
—The Enquirer, 23 Apr. 2024
Read Next Restaurants in Miami and Miami Beach named best spots for fried chicken in the U.S.
April 18, 2024 4:30 AM
Quiet Harrison Street is a world away from trendy Miami, and that’s how Sealey, who lives close to the restaurant in Hollywood Lakes, prefers it.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for chicken
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chicken.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near chicken
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chicken. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
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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