/ ˈtʃɪkɪn; NAmE / noun , verb , adjective
■ noun
1.
[ C ] a large bird that is often kept for its eggs or meat :
They keep chickens in the back yard.
free-range chickens
—compare cock , hen
2.
[ U ] meat from a chicken :
fried / roast chicken
chicken stock / soup
chicken breasts / livers / thighs
chicken and chips
—see also spring chicken
•
IDIOMS
- a chicken-and-egg situation, problem, etc.
- play chicken
—more at count verb , headless , home adverb
■ verb
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- chicken out (of sth / of doing sth)
■ adjective
[ not before noun ] ( informal ) not brave; afraid to do sth
SYN cowardly
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English cīcen , cӯcen , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kieken and German Küchlein , and probably also to cock .