From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
chicken
adj 1: easily frightened [syn: chicken, chickenhearted,
lily-livered, white-livered, yellow, {yellow-
bellied}]
n 1: the flesh of a chicken used for food [syn: chicken,
poulet, volaille]
2: a domestic fowl bred for flesh or eggs; believed to have been
developed from the red jungle fowl [syn: chicken, {Gallus
gallus}]
3: a person who lacks confidence, is irresolute and wishy-washy
[syn: wimp, chicken, 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]