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DictionaryfowlBird
noun / verb

fowl

FOWL/faʊl/

A bird regarded as a source of food.

The plucked fowl rests on a food-preparation tray, ready for cooking.

A whole raw, plucked chicken on a plain food-preparation tray, with its recognizable wings, breast and drumsticks clearly showing a bird prepared for food.
Etymology
fowlOld Englishbird

Old English fugel meant any bird. As bird took over that general meaning, fowl narrowed toward barnyard birds such as hens, roosters, ducks, and geese, connecting it more closely with birds used for food.

In context

Poultry Pete0:00
I'm Poultry Pete, and today we're going to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of keeping guinea fowl, this rather unusual ancient African fowl.
master breeder's warning about guineafowl...

More examples

  • We roast a fowl with potatoes for Sunday dinner.
  • Ducks and geese are the only fowl on this farm.
  • The hunters fowl in the marshes during duck season.

Forms

fowl · fowls · fowled · fowling

Similar words

poultry
Poultry collectively names domestic birds raised for meat or eggs.
bird
Bird includes species not usually raised or hunted for food.