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Added 9 October 2026

chicken

/ˈt͡ʃɪkɪn/ noun

In Latin: pullus, gallus, gallina Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about chicken at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The flesh of a chicken used for food.
A domestic fowl bred for flesh or eggs; believed to have been developed from the red jungle fowl.
A person who lacks confidence, is irresolute and wishy-washy.

adjective

Easily frightened.

Origin

From Middle English chiken (also as chike > English chick), from Old English ċicen, ċycen (“chicken”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Proto-West Germanic *kiukīn (“chicken”), or alternatively from Proto-West Germanic *kukkīn, equivalent to cock + -en. Compare North Frisian schückling (“chicken”), Saterland Frisian Sjuuken (“chicken”), Dutch kuiken (“chick, chicken”), German Low German Küken (“chick”), whence German Küken (“chick”), (elevated, obsolete) German Küchlein (“chick”) and Old Norse kjúklingr (“chicken”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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