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Vinony

chicken

adjective

  1. being afraid
L30488 on Wikidata ↗

verb

No English definition recorded for this entry.

L30489 on Wikidata ↗

noun

  1. type of meat
  2. domesticated bird, primarily a source of food
L4774 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈt͡ʃɪkɪn/ / /ˈt͡ʃɪkən/

adj

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *keukô Proto-Germanic *kukkaz Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Germanic *-īnaz Proto-West Germanic *kiukīn? Proto-Germanic *kukkīną? Old English ċicen Middle English chiken English chicken 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”).

  1. Cowardly.

    “Why do you refuse to fight? Huh, I guess you're just too chicken.”

name

Etymology: Chosen instead of ptarmigan (a common local bird) because of a dispute over the correct spelling.

  1. A census-designated place in Alaska.

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree English chick English -en English chicken From chick + -en (plural ending).

  1. plural of chick

    “The 21 or 22 day the Chicken are hatch'd; […]”

verb

Etymology: Shortening of chicken out.

  1. To avoid a situation one is afraid of.

    “For the umpteenth time, I chickened.”

    “ABE: What are you chucking it for, then? You're running, aren't you? Running, cos you chickened. SLIM: All right, so I chickened.”