chicken
chicken
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for the word "chicken" is /ˈtʃɪk.ɪn/.
Here's a breakdown of the sounds in each syllable:
First syllable: /tʃɪk/
/tʃ/ - voiceless affricate (like the "ch" in "church")
/ɪ/ - a short, high front unrounded vowel (like the "i" in "bit")
/k/ - voiceless velar stop (like the "k" in "kit")
Second syllable: /ɪn/
/ɪ/ - a short, high front unrounded vowel (like the "i" in "bit")
/n/ - alveolar nasal (like the "n" in "nap")
Word Form Variations
Singular: chicken
Plural: chickens
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun:
A domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) raised for its meat and eggs.
Synonyms: fowl, hen, rooster, chick, poultry
Antonyms: (Generally, wild birds would be considered antonyms in this very broad sense, e.g., eagle, hawk, wild turkey. However, there isn't a direct antonym for "domestic fowl.")
(Informal) A coward; someone lacking courage or easily frightened.
Synonyms: coward, scaredy-cat, wimp, weakling, pushover, poltroon
Antonyms: hero, brave person, courageous person, valiant person
(Slang) A young person. (This usage is less common and often considered dated.)
Synonyms: youngster, youth, kid, juvenile
Antonyms: adult, elder
Verb:
(Informal) To back out of something due to fear; to be cowardly. (Often used with "out.")
Synonyms: back down, flinch, quail, retreat, give up, lose nerve
Antonyms: face, confront, brave, dare, proceed, persist
Adjective:
(Informal) Cowardly; fearful.
Synonyms: cowardly, timid, fearful, pusillanimous, faint-hearted, craven
Antonyms: brave, courageous, fearless, valiant, intrepid
It's important to note that the noun definitions are the most common and widely understood. The verb and adjective forms, as well as the slang noun definition, are less frequent and might not be recognized by everyone.
Examples of Use
Noun (Domestic Fowl):
"The farmer raises chickens for their eggs and meat." (General public discourse)
"Chicken prices have risen due to the recent bird flu outbreak." (Newspaper article - e.g., search for "chicken prices" on any news site)
"Roast chicken is a classic comfort food." (Cookbook - countless examples)
"The chickens pecked at the ground for scraps." (Children's book - numerous examples)
Noun (Coward):
"Don't be a chicken! Go talk to her." (General public discourse)
"He chickened out of the bungee jump at the last minute." (Informal conversation/social media)
"Critics accused the politician of chickening out on his promises." (Online commentary/blog)
Verb (To Back Out):
"I was going to ask her to the dance, but I chickened out." (General public discourse)
"The company chickened out of the deal due to financial concerns." (Business news article - search for "chickened out of deal" on financial news sites)
Adjective (Cowardly):
"That was a chicken move, leaving your friend in trouble." (General public discourse)
"He gave a chicken excuse for not completing his assignment." (Informal conversation/social media)
Slang (Young Person):
"Those chickens are getting into trouble again." (This usage is less common and might be found in older literature or films depicting a specific era. It's less prevalent in modern usage.)
10 Famous Quotes Using Chicken
"Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side." — Classic Joke (Anonymous)
"A chicken is just an egg’s way of making another egg."— Samuel Butler
"Don’t count your chickens before they hatch." — Proverb
"When the fox preaches, beware your chickens." — German Proverb
"Even a chicken can fly for a second." — Japanese Proverb
"He who fights and runs away may live to fight another day, but is still called chicken."
— Anonymous"It’s not about who has the best chicken—it’s about who markets the chicken best."— Colonel Sanders
"The chicken came before the egg. No doubt—it had to lay it."— Anonymous
"Courage is not the absence of fear. Even the bravest have chicken moments."— Nelson Mandela
"Don’t be a chicken. Fear is just excitement without breath." — Robert Heller
Etymology
The word "chicken" has a pretty straightforward etymology. It comes from the Old English word "cicen," which meant "young fowl." Think of it like "chick" with an "-en" ending. That Old English word likely came from a Germanic root, but the exact origin beyond that is a bit fuzzy.
The first known use of "cicen" was way back in the Old English period (roughly 450-1100 AD). Initially, it just referred to any young bird, not specifically the domesticated fowl we think of today. Over time, the meaning narrowed to primarily mean the young of the domestic fowl, and eventually, the word "chicken" came to refer to the adult bird itself.
So, essentially, "chicken" started as a word for any young bird, then became specifically about young domesticated fowl, and finally became the word for the domesticated fowl itself, both young and old. It's a good example of how word meanings can shift and evolve over time.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Chicken
Common/Relatively Common:
Don't count your chickens before they hatch: Don't rely on something good happening until it's actually happened.
Chicken out: To back out of something due to fear.
Chicken feed: A small or insignificant amount of money.
Chickenhearted: Cowardly; lacking courage.
Chicken hawk: Someone who preys on the weak or vulnerable. (Also a type of hawk.)
Why did the chicken cross the road?: A classic riddle.
Less Common/Figurative:
To be chicken about something: To be hesitant or fearful about something.
A chicken in every pot: A historical political slogan promising prosperity. (Not exactly an idiom, but a well-known phrase.)
Running around like a chicken with its head cut off: Acting frantically and without purpose. (Often used with "a" instead of "a chicken.")
Phrases with Synonyms (for similar effect):
To get cold feet: (Similar to "chicken out")
To be a scaredy-cat: (Similar to being "chicken")
To have a yellow streak: (Implies cowardice, similar to being "chicken")
To be afraid of one's own shadow: (Similar to being "chicken")
Original/Made-up Phrases (for illustrative purposes):
"He was so chicken, he wouldn't even try the new food."
"The project was going smoothly, but then they started to get chicken about the deadline."
Why so few idioms?
The primary reason there aren't tons of idioms with "chicken" is that its metaphorical use (for cowardice) is fairly limited. While common, it's not as versatile as some other words. The literal use (the bird) doesn't lend itself to many figurative extensions beyond the few we have. Also, many of the phrases related to the bird itself are more like proverbs or sayings than full-fledged idioms.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of chicken from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
