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Definition of 'fowl'

Word Frequency

fowl

(faʊl )

Word forms: plural fowls , plural fowl

countable noun

A fowl is a bird, especially one that can be eaten as food, such as a duck or a chicken.

Carve the fowl into 8 pieces.

...ducks and many other animals and fowl.

Synonyms: poultry More Synonyms of fowl

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Word Frequency

fowl in British English

(faʊl )

noun

1. See domestic fowl

2.

any other bird, esp any gallinaceous bird, that is used as food or hunted as game

See also waterfowl, wildfowl

3.

the flesh or meat of fowl, esp of chicken

4. an archaic word for any bird

verb

5. (intransitive)

to hunt or snare wildfowl

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Word origin

Old English fugol; related to Old Frisian fugel, Old Norse fogl, Gothic fugls, Old High German fogal

Word Frequency

fowl in American English

(faʊl )

nounWord forms: plural fowls or fowl

1.

any bird

now only in combination

wildfowl

2.

any of various domestic birds used as food

; specif.,

a.

the chicken

b.

the duck, goose, turkey, etc.

c.

a full-grown chicken, as distinguished from a springer, etc.

3.

the flesh of any of these birds used for food

verb intransitive

4.

to catch, trap, hunt, or shoot wild birds for food or sport

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Derived forms

fowler (ˈfowler)

noun

fowling (ˈfowling)

noun

Word origin

ME foule, foghel < OE fugol, akin to Ger vogel, bird < Gmc *fuglaz, altered by dissimulation < *fluglaz < *flug-, *fleug- < IE *pleuk- > fly1

Word Frequency

fowl in American Englishesp collectively

(faul) (noun plural fowls, fowl)

noun

1.

the domestic or barnyard hen or rooster; chicken

Compare domestic fowl

2.

any of several other, usually gallinaceous, birds that are barnyard, domesticated, or wild, as the duck, turkey, or pheasant

3. (in market and household use)

a full-grown domestic fowl for food purposes, as distinguished from a chicken or young fowl

4.

the flesh or meat of a domestic fowl

5. (used chiefly in combination)

any bird

waterfowl

wildfowl

intransitive verb

6.

to hunt or take wildfowl

Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019 by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Word origin

[bef. 900; ME foul, OE fugol, fugel; c. OS fugal, Goth fugls, OHG fogal (G Vogel)]

Examples of 'fowl' in a sentence
fowl

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

Will he prove neither upfield fish nor midfield fowl?But the trouble with this series is that it is neither fish nor fowl.Some might call that fowl play.It is neither fish nor fowl. Instead of fish and fowl, he simply saw larger fish.And if she wants to wed in white she'd need a fish or fowl frock.When Rhodry tried a bite it tasted of meat, not fowl.I eat fish and fowl.The creature that incurred the congestion charge in Central London yesterday was neither fish nor fowl nor good red herring.We should recognise it as the noble jungle fowl that, in the deepest recesses of its genetic code, it still is.

Word lists with
fowl

related adjectives, male animals, female animals

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Question: 1

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Score: 0 / 5

Which female animal am I?

peahen

cat peafowl ruff

Which female animal am I?

jenny

ferret fox wren

Which female animal am I?

cow

lion swan whale

Which female animal am I?

bitch

dog fox peafowl

Which female animal am I?

sow

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More idioms containing
fowl

be neither fish nor fowl

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In other languages
fowl

British English: fowl NOUN /faʊl/

A fowl is a bird, especially one that can be eaten as food, such as a duck or a chicken.

Carve the fowl into 8 pieces.

American English: fowl /ˈfaʊl/
Brazilian Portuguese: ave (doméstica)
Chinese: 家禽
European Spanish: ave de corral
French: volaille
German: Geflügel
Italian: volatile
Japanese: 家禽
Korean: 가금
European Portuguese: ave (doméstica)
Latin American Spanish: ave de corral
Thai: สัตว์ปีก

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Definition of fowl from the Collins English Dictionary

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tic or tick?

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tic

tick

She developed a in her left eye.

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bridal

bridle

The party was waiting at the house.

sauce or source?

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I prepared a sauce of garlic, tomatoes, and cheese. I prepared a source of garlic, tomatoes, and cheese.

hangar or hanger?

Which version is correct?

The property has eight bedrooms and a helicopter hangar. The property has eight bedrooms and a helicopter hanger.

stake or steak?

Which version is correct?

The only thing on the menu was stake and kidney pie. The only thing on the menu was steak and kidney pie.

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Nov 08, 2021

Word of the day

desertification

Desertification is the process by which a piece of land becomes dry , empty , and unsuitable for growing trees or crops on.

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Scrabble score
for 'fowl':
10

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pair or pear?

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pair

pear

Throw me over a of socks.

warn or worn?

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Worn

Warn

rugs increase the danger of tripping.

weak or week?

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I had a letter from my mother last weak. I had a letter from my mother last week.

board or bored?

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bored

board

I got with my job as a travel agent.

we're or were or where?

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We're

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Where

thinking of going to a jazz club tonight.

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