1. A domestic fowl bred for flesh or eggs; believed to have been developed from the red jungle fowl
   "The farmer went to feed the chickens in the coop";
   - Gallus gallus, chook [Austral, NZ, informal]
    
2. The flesh of a chicken used for food
   "The menu featured chicken rôti as the main course";
   - poulet, volaille [archaic]
    
3. [informal] A person who shows fear or timidity
   "has an undeserved reputation as a chicken";
   - coward
    
4. [informal] A person who lacks confidence, is irresolute and wishy-washy
   "Don't be such a chicken, just ask her out already";
   - wimp, crybaby [informal], candy-ass [N. Amer, informal], yellow-belly
    
5. [informal] A foolhardy competition; a dangerous activity that is continued until one competitor becomes afraid and stops
   "The teenagers played chicken by driving towards each other on a narrow road"

1. Easily frightened
   "You're too chicken to do anything about it";
   - chickenhearted [informal], lily-livered, white-livered, yellow, yellow-bellied [informal], chicken-livered

1. Be too scared to do something
   "He chickened out of the skydiving trip at the last minute";
   - chicken out

Derived forms: chickens, chickening, chickened

See also: cowardly, fearful

Type of: actor, competition, contest, doer, domestic fowl, doormat, fowl, poultry, weakling, weed [UK, informal], wet [UK, informal], worker, wuss, wussy [informal]

Encyclopedia: Chicken, Alaska