turkey
[ tur-kee ]
/ ˈtɜr ki /
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.
Slang.
- a person or thing of little appeal; dud; loser.
- a naive, stupid, or inept person.
- 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
Definition for turkey (2 of 2)
Turkey
[ tur-kee ]
/ ˈtɜr ki /
noun
a republic in W Asia and SE Europe. 296,184 sq. mi. (767,120 sq. km): 286,928 sq. mi. (743,145 sq. km) in Asia; 9257 sq. mi. (23,975 sq. km) in Europe. Capital: Ankara.
Compare
Ottoman Empire.
OTHER WORDS FROM Turkey
pro-Tur·key, adjectiveExample sentences from the Web for turkey
British Dictionary definitions for 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 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 turkey
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 turkey
turkey
see cold turkey; talk turkey.