chick
pronunciation
How to pronounce chick in British English:
UK [tʃɪk]
How to pronounce chick in American English:
US [tʃɪk]
-
- Noun:
- young bird especially of domestic fowl
- informal terms for a (young) woman
Word Origin
- chick (n.)
- mid-14c. shortening of chicken (n.). Extended to human offspring (often in alliterative pairing chick and child) and thence used as a term of endearment. As slang for "young woman" it is first recorded 1927 (in "Elmer Gantry"), supposedly from U.S. black slang. In British use in this sense by c. 1940; popularized by Beatniks late 1950s. Chicken in this sense is from 1711. Sometimes c. 1600-1900 chicken was taken as a plural, chick as a singular (compare child/children) for the domestic fowl.
Example
- 1. Chick flicks are romantic movies without a conscience .
- 2. A polish white-crested black cock and chick .
- 3. The chick is fully formed and healthy , although the mother has died .
- 4. And the reason I stayed at that job , when my head was spinning around like the chick in the exorcist , was cheap healthcare .
- 5. The mugs have moulded plastic animal faces representing a ladybird , a turtle , a bunny and a chick , and have with a plastic top .