From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
chicken
adj : easily frightened [syn: chickenhearted, lily-livered,
white-livered, yellow, yellow-bellied]
n 1: the flesh of a chicken used for food [syn: poulet,
volaille]
2: a domestic fowl bred for flesh or eggs; believed to have
been developed from the red jungle fowl [syn: {Gallus
gallus}]
3: a person who lacks confidence, is irresolute and wishy-washy
[syn: wimp, crybaby]
4: a foolhardy competition; a dangerous activity that is
continued until one competitor becomes afraid and stops
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Chicken \Chick"en\, n. [AS. cicen, cyceun, dim. of coc cock;
akin to LG. kiken, k["u]ken, D. Kieken, kuiken, G.
k["u]chkein. See Cock the animal.]
1. A young bird or fowl, esp. a young barnyard fowl.
[1913 Webster]
2. A young person; a child; esp. a young woman; a maiden;
same as spring chicken. "Stella is no chicken." --Swift.
[1913 Webster]
Chicken cholera, a contagious disease of fowls; -- so
called because first studied during the prevalence of a
cholera epidemic in France. It has no resemblance to true
cholera.
[1913 Webster]