turkey
See also: Turkey
English
![](../I/m/Male_north_american_turkey_supersaturated.jpg)
A turkey
Etymology
From Turkey. The guinea fowl (Numida meleagris), native to Africa, was imported to Europe by Turkey merchants. The larger northern American bird Meleagris gallopavo, thought to resemble the guinea fowl, was brought to Spain by conquistadors in 1523; from there it was introduced to northern Africa, at the time under Ottoman rule, and then via the Middle East back into Europe.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈtɜːki/
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈtəːki/
- (General American) enPR: tûr'kē, IPA(key): /ˈtɝki/
Audio (US) (file) Audio (US) (file)
Audio (AU) (file) - Rhymes: -ɜː(r)ki
- Hyphenation: tur‧key
Noun
![](../I/m/Roasted_turkey_at_Loola's_by_Awfully_Chocolate%2C_Esplanade_%E2%80%93_Theatres_on_the_Bay%2C_Singapore_-_20121222.jpg)
A roasted turkey at a restaurant in Singapore. Roasted turkey is traditionally served to celebrate Thanksgiving Day and Christmas
turkey (countable and uncountable, plural turkeys)
- Either of two species of bird in the genus Meleagris with fan-shaped tails and wattled necks.
- (uncountable) The meat or flesh of this bird eaten as food
- All week after Thanksgiving, I had turkey sandwiches for lunch.
- (colloquial) A failure.
- That film was a turkey.
- (slang, usually mildly derogatory) A foolish or inept person.
- The turkey cut in front of me and then berated me for running into him.
- (bowling) An act of throwing three strikes in a row.
- (obsolete) The guinea fowl (Numida meleagris). [from c. 1600]
- (medical slang, derogatory) A patient feigning symptoms; a person faking illness or injury; a malingerer.
- (dated, slang, US, Australia) A large travel bag; a suitcase; a pack carried by a lumberman; a bindle. [early 20th c.]
Synonyms
- (bird): Meleagris gallopavo, Meleagris ocellata
- (failure): flop
- (stupid person): fool, idiot, (US) jerk, (UK) plonker, (UK) prat
Hyponyms
- (male): turkey-cock
- (female): turkey-hen
- wild turkey
Derived terms
Related terms
- Australian turkey
- brush turkey
- bush turkey
- cold turkey
- go full turkey
- scrub turkey
- talk turkey
- turkey buzzard
- turkey-cock
- turkey-hen
- turkeyling
- turkey nest
Translations
bird
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failure
stupid person
References
- “turkey” in the Collins English Dictionary, Glasgow: HarperCollins Publishers.
See also
- Anhinga
- Australian bustard
- helmeted guineafowl
- gobble (onomatopoeia)
Further reading
Turkey (bird) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Meleagris gallopavo on Wikispecies.Wikispecies Meleagris ocellata on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
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