chicken
[ chik-uh n ]
/ ˈtʃɪk ən /
noun
adjective
(of food) containing, made from, or having the flavor of chicken: chicken salad; chicken soup.
Slang.
- cowardly.
- petty or trivial: a chicken regulation.
- obsessed with petty details, regulations, etc.: He's quitting this chicken outfit to become his own boss.
Verb Phrases
chicken out, Slang.
- to refrain from doing something because of fear or cowardice: I chickened out when I saw how deep the water was.
- to renege or withdraw: You can't chicken out of this business deal now.
Idioms for chicken
count one's chickens before they are hatched,
to rely on a benefit that is still uncertain: They were already spending in anticipation of their inheritance, counting their chickens before they were hatched.
Origin of chicken
before 950; 1605–15
for def 4a; 1940–45
for def 6; Middle English
chiken, Old English
cīcen; akin to Middle Dutch
kieken (Dutch
kuiken), Low German
küken
Words nearby chicken
British Dictionary definitions for chicken out (1 of 2)
chicken out
verb
(intr, adverb) informal
to fail to do something through fear or lack of conviction
British Dictionary definitions for chicken out (2 of 2)
chicken
/ (ˈtʃɪkɪn) /
noun
adjective
slang
easily scared; cowardly; timid
Word Origin for chicken
Old English
ciecen; related to Old Norse
kjūklingr gosling, Middle Low German
küken chicken
Idioms and Phrases with chicken out (1 of 2)
chicken out
Back out from fear, lose one's nerve, as in In the end I chickened out and took the easier route down the mountain. Chicken is a popular synonym for “cowardly,” a usage arising in the 1600s and 1700s but then apparently abandoned until the 20th century. [Slang; c. 1930]
Idioms and Phrases with chicken out (2 of 2)
chicken