turkey

[ tur-kee ]
/ ˈtɜr ki /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR turkey ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural tur·keys, (especially collectively) tur·key.

a large, gallinaceous bird of the family Meleagrididae, especially Meleagris gallopavo, of America, that typically has green, reddish-brown, and yellowish-brown plumage of a metallic luster and that is domesticated in most parts of the world.
the flesh of this bird, used as food.
ocellated turkey.
Slang.
  1. a person or thing of little appeal; dud; loser.
  2. a naive, stupid, or inept person.
  3. a poor and unsuccessful theatrical production; flop.
Bowling. three strikes in succession.

Idioms for turkey

    talk turkey, Informal. to talk frankly; mean business.

Origin of turkey

1545–55; short for Turkey cock and Turkey hen cock and hen of Turkey, first applied to guinea fowl, later confused with the American bird

Words nearby turkey

turk's-head cactus, turk., turkana, turkestan, turkestani, turkey, turkey brown, turkey buzzard, turkey carpet, turkey cock, turkey nest

British Dictionary definitions for talk turkey (1 of 2)

turkey
/ (ˈtɜːkɪ) /

noun plural -keys or -key

Word Origin for turkey

C16: shortened from Turkey cock ( hen), used at first to designate the African guinea fowl (apparently because the bird was brought through Turkish territory), later applied by mistake to the American bird

British Dictionary definitions for talk turkey (2 of 2)

Turkey
/ (ˈtɜːkɪ) /

noun

a republic in W Asia and SE Europe, between the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Aegean: the centre of the Ottoman Empire; became a republic in 1923. The major Asian part, consisting mainly of an arid plateau, is separated from European Turkey by the Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, and Dardanelles. Official languages: Turkish; Kurdish and Arabic minority languages. Religion: Muslim majority. Currency: lira. Capital: Ankara. Pop: 80 694 485 (2013 est). Area: 780 576 sq km (301 380 sq miles)

Cultural definitions for talk turkey (1 of 2)

talk turkey

To discuss in a straightforward manner: “The time has come to talk turkey about our national debt.”

Cultural definitions for talk turkey (2 of 2)

Turkey

Republic straddling southeastern Europe and the Middle East, bordered by the Black Sea to the north, Georgia and Armenia to the northeast, Iran to the east, Iraq and Syria to the southeast, the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea to the southwest, and Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest. Ninety-seven percent of the country is in Asia. Ankara is its capital, but Istanbul is its largest city and former imperial capital.

notes for Turkey

The Ottoman Empire emerged in Anatolia (the western portion of Asian Turkey) during the thirteenth century and survived until 1918. At its height, during the sixteenth century, the empire stretched from the Persian Gulf to western Algeria and included all of southeastern Europe.

notes for Turkey

The declining Ottoman Empire allied with Germany, Austria, and Bulgaria in World War I and suffered disintegration and Greek occupation at the end of the war.

notes for Turkey

After the rise of a nationalist movement led by Kemal Ataturk, the Republic of Turkey was established in 1923.

notes for Turkey

In 1871, the archaeologist and scholar Heinrich Schliemann discovered the site of ancient Troy on the west coast of Asian Turkey.

notes for Turkey

The country's relations with Greece have been characterized by tension and conflict for centuries.

notes for Turkey

Turkey has been a member of NATO since 1952.

notes for Turkey

Parts of the country were devastated by an earthquake in 2000.

notes for Turkey

Turkey has long resisted separatist demands from militant Kurds in the eastern part of the country.

Idioms and Phrases with talk turkey (1 of 2)

talk turkey

Speak plainly, get to the point, as in Don't call me until you're ready to talk turkey. This expression allegedly comes from a tale about an Indian and a white man who hunted together and divided the game. When the white man said, “I'll take the turkey and you the buzzard, or you take the buzzard and I the turkey,” the Indian replied, “Talk turkey to me.” Whether or not this tale had a true basis, the term was recorded in its present meaning by about 1840.

Idioms and Phrases with talk turkey (2 of 2)

turkey

see cold turkey; talk turkey.