Dictionary  chick•enPronunciation: (chik'un), [key] —n. 1. a domestic fowl, Gallus domesticus, descended from various jungle fowl of southeastern Asia and developed in a number of breeds for its flesh, eggs, and feathers. 2. the young of this bird, esp. when less than a year old. 3. the flesh of the chicken, esp. of the young bird, used as food. 4. Informal.a young or inexperienced person, esp. a young girl. 5. Slang. a. a cowardly or fearful person. b. petty details or tasks. c. unnecessary discipline or regulations. d. a young male homosexual, esp. one sought as a sexual partner by older men. 6. a contest in which two cars approach each other at high speed down the center of a road, the object being to force one's opponent to veer away first. 7. a policy or strategy of challenging an opponent to risk a clash or yield: diplomats playing chicken at the conference table. 8. 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. —adj. 1. (of food) containing, made from, or having the flavor of chicken: chicken salad; chicken soup. 2. Slang. a. cowardly. b. petty or trivial: a chicken regulation. c. obsessed with petty details, regulations, etc.: He's quitting this chicken outfit to become his own boss. —v.i. chicken out, Slang. a. to refrain from doing something because of fear or cowardice: I chickened out when I saw how deep the water was. b. to renege or withdraw: You can't chicken out of this business deal now. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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