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poultry

/ˈpəʊl.tri/
IELTSAcademic
noun

Poultry is birds kept on farms for their meat or eggs, especially chickens. It can also mean their meat as food.

  • We raise poultry on our farm.
  • Chicken is the most common poultry.
  • The menu has grilled poultry and vegetables.

Adinary Nuance

Poultry is broader than chicken. It can mean chickens, ducks, turkeys, and other farm birds, or their meat. Use chicken for one bird or one type of meat, and poultry when you mean the whole group.

In other languages

Vietnamese
gia cầm
Spanish
aves de corral
Chinese
家禽
Japanese
家禽
Korean
가금류

Etymology

Poultry came into English from Old French in the Middle Ages. It is linked to an older word for a young bird or farm bird.

Common phrases

poultry farmpoultry meatpoultry productspoultry industry

Synonyms

Related words

Frequently asked questions

Is poultry the same as chicken?
No. Chicken is one kind of poultry. Poultry includes chickens and other farm birds too.
Is poultry a common word in business writing?
Yes. It is common in food, farming, and trade writing.
Can poultry mean the meat?
Yes. It can mean the birds or the meat from them.