The DICT Development Group

  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]

  spring chicken
      n 1: a young person (especially a young man or boy) [syn: young
           person, youth, younker, spring chicken]
      2: a young chicken having tender meat