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 of chicken
Relevance
Noun
Adjective
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
Gretchen McKay, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
Try it in a spring salad with crispy chicken and bacony croutons.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Feb. 2026
Using fresh ingredients and whole spices, from his signature butter chicken and mango curry to a Thai-Indo fusion chicken stir fry, paired perfectly with his homemade chai or mango lassi.
—Usa Today Network, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Stir in the chicken and beans, along with their liquid.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chicken
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Noun
Add cheese sauce to the broccoli-chicken mixture and stir to combine.
—Gretchen McKay, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2026
Try it in a spring salad with crispy chicken and bacony croutons.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 Feb. 2026
Using fresh ingredients and whole spices, from his signature butter chicken and mango curry to a Thai-Indo fusion chicken stir fry, paired perfectly with his homemade chai or mango lassi.
—Usa Today Network, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Stir in the chicken and beans, along with their liquid.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chicken
Cite this Entry
“Chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chicken. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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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