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. SeeleyExamples 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
Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 16 June 2025
Hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, chicken sandwiches, chips and ice cream from The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe will be for sale with proceeds benefiting the Rancho Santa Fe Community Center.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 June 2025
Cook up to 13 burgers at once on this grill that adds a smoky flavor to beef, chicken, and vegetables.
—Rachel Trujillo, People.com, 14 June 2025
Whether on purpose or happy accident, the scent often draws consumers directly to the hot case of ready-to-eat chickens.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicken
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Noun
One night, the young boy took a piece of chicken from the foster parents’ school-age son.
—Jayme Fraser, USA Today, 16 June 2025
Hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, chicken sandwiches, chips and ice cream from The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe will be for sale with proceeds benefiting the Rancho Santa Fe Community Center.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 June 2025
Cook up to 13 burgers at once on this grill that adds a smoky flavor to beef, chicken, and vegetables.
—Rachel Trujillo, People.com, 14 June 2025
Whether on purpose or happy accident, the scent often draws consumers directly to the hot case of ready-to-eat chickens.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chicken. Accessed 19 Jun. 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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