chicken

A1 Topic:Animals

US /ˈt͡ʃɪkən/ UK /ˈt͡ʃɪkɪn/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like sicken /tʃ/ vs /s/

Freq #1211

Meanings

1

noun
A common farm bird kept for its eggs and meat.

They keep a few chickens in the backyard for fresh eggs.
2

noun
The meat of this bird, eaten as food.

We had roast chicken with potatoes for dinner.
3

noun
A person who is afraid to do something; a coward.

Come on, jump in the water, don't be such a chicken!
4

adj
Too afraid to do something; cowardly.

He was too chicken to ask her to dance.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 noun · a person who is afraid to... cowardchickenshit

4 adj · too afraid to do something;... afraid cowardly

More biddychook

Word family

Forms chickenedchickeningchickens

Derived forms antichickenchicken-and-eggchicken-and-eggishchicken-breastedchicken-feedchicken-friedchicken-hazardchicken-heartchicken-heartedchicken-heartedlychicken-heartednesschicken-house

Related forms egg poultry

Appears in

Phrases (6)

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chicken breast
meat from the front of a chicken's body, often sold as a separate cut

Noun + noun
chicken coop
a small building or enclosure where chickens are kept

Noun + noun
chicken drumstick
the lower part of a chicken's leg used as meat

Noun + noun
chicken paprika
chicken cooked with onions and paprika and finished with sour cream

Noun + noun
chicken broth
a savory liquid made by simmering chicken in water

Noun + noun
prairie chicken
a North American grouse with mottled brown feathers that lives on open grassland

Noun + noun

Idioms (1)

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chicken-and-egg problem
a situation in which two things each depend on the other, so neither can get started

Proverbs (8)

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Simplified etymology

Chicken is an Old English word and probably shares an ancient root with cock. The precise earlier history is not given in the source.

Etymology

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”).

chiken Middle English ċicen Old English *kiukīn Proto-West Germanic *kukkīn Proto-West Germanic

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Topics

Animals

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# chicken

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** noun, adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈt͡ʃɪkən/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈt͡ʃɪkɪn/
**Frequency rank:** 1211

## Meanings
1. A common farm bird kept for its eggs and meat.
2. The meat of this bird, eaten as food.
3. A person who is afraid to do something; a coward.
4. Too afraid to do something; cowardly.

## Examples
- They keep a few chickens in the backyard for fresh eggs.
- We had roast chicken with potatoes for dinner.
- Come on, jump in the water, don't be such a chicken!
- He was too chicken to ask her to dance.

## Synonyms
- biddy
- chook

## Derived Forms
- antichicken
- chicken-and-egg
- chicken-and-eggish
- chicken-breasted
- chicken-feed
- chicken-fried
- chicken-hazard
- chicken-heart
- chicken-hearted
- chicken-heartedly
- chicken-heartedness
- chicken-house

## Related Forms
- egg
- poultry

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: chiken
- Root: ċicen
- Root: *kiukīn
- Root: *kukkīn

## Etymology
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”).

## AI Etymology
chicken is a noun and adjective. It is 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”). Historical forms in the chain include chiken (Middle English), ċicen (Old English), *kiukīn (Proto-West Germanic), and *kukkīn (Proto-West Germanic). Current senses include a common farm bird kept for its eggs and meat, the meat of this bird, eaten as food, and a person who is afraid to do something; a coward. Derived forms include antichicken, chicken-and-egg, chicken-and-eggish, chicken-breasted, and chicken-feed. Related words include egg and poultry.

## Topics
- Animals

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chicken

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Thesaurus

Appears in

Phrases (6)

Idioms (1)

Proverbs (8)

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