Illustration of turkey
- turkey 1
plural turkeys
1
plural also turkey
: a large North American gallinaceous bird (Meleagris gallopavo) that is domesticated in most parts of the world
also
: its flesh used as food
3
: three successive strikes in bowling
4
: a stupid, foolish, or inept person
Examples of turkey in a Sentence
He was acting like a complete turkey.
only a turkey would think it's a good idea to go for a jog when the weather drops below zero
Recent Examples on the Web
The turkey perked up and flew off.
—
Emma Allen, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Our Test Kitchen swapped ground beef for turkey, and this recipe is simple and satisfying.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2026
Edamame, turkey, tuna, and certain dairy products provide a boost of protein without adding high amounts of fat to your diet.
—Mark Gurarie, Health, 4 Apr. 2026
The berries are favorites of turkeys, bears, foxes, and possums in the fall, while the flowers are attractive and a huge attractant for pollinators.
—Campbell Vaughn, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for turkey
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Send us feedback.
Emma Allen, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Our Test Kitchen swapped ground beef for turkey, and this recipe is simple and satisfying.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2026
Edamame, turkey, tuna, and certain dairy products provide a boost of protein without adding high amounts of fat to your diet.
—Mark Gurarie, Health, 4 Apr. 2026
The berries are favorites of turkeys, bears, foxes, and possums in the fall, while the flowers are attractive and a huge attractant for pollinators.
—Campbell Vaughn, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for turkey
Cite this Entry
“Turkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turkey. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
turkey
noun
tur·key
ˈtər-kē 
plural turkeys
1
plural also turkey
: a large North American bird that is related to the domestic chicken and is domesticated in most parts of the world
2
: something that is a failure
the new play was a turkey
3
: a stupid or foolish person
Etymology
from turkey-cock, an old word for "guinea fowl," from Turkey, a country in Asia Minor; so called because at one time people thought guinea fowl came from Turkey
Word Origin
The bird we now call the guinea fowl was once called the turkey. Turkey was the shortened version of turkey-cock and turkey-hen. The guinea fowl's original home was in Africa. However, Europeans discovered that it was good to eat and did well in captivity, so they brought it back to Europe. Some people mistakenly thought that the birds came from Turkey, and the name stuck. Later, when English settlers first arrived in America, they found a large bird living here that was also good to eat. They called this new bird turkey because it reminded them of the turkey they were familiar with back in Europe.
Geographical Definition
Turkey
geographical name
Tur·key
ˈtər-kē
variants
or now officially Türkiye
country in western Asia and southeastern Europe between the Mediterranean and Black seas; capital Ankara area 302,535 square miles (783,562 square kilometers), population 81,257,000 see ottoman empire
Note: Turkey was formerly the center of an empire whose capital was Constantinople. Since 1923 it has been a republic.
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