turkey

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: tur=key

CIDE DICTIONARY

turkey, pr. n. [Cf. 2d Turkey.].

 A country in the southeast of Europe and southwest of Asia.  [1913 Webster]

Turkey carpet, a superior kind of carpet made in Asia Minor and adjoining countries, having a deep pile and composed of pure wool with a weft of different material. It is distinguishable by its coloring and patterns from similar carpets made in India and elsewhere. -- Turkey oak. (Bot.) See Cerris. -- Turkey red. (a) A brilliant red imparted by madder to cottons, calicoes, etc., the fiber of which has been prepared previously with oil or other fatty matter. (b) Cloth dyed with this red. -- Turkey sponge. (Zoöl.) See Toilet sponge, under Sponge. -- Turkey stone, a kind of oilstone from Turkey; novaculite; -- called also Turkey oilstone.

turkey, n. [So called because it was formerly erroneously believed that it came originally from Turkey: cf. F. Turquie Turkey. See Turk.].

 Any large American gallinaceous bird belonging to the genus Meleagris, especially the North American wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), and the domestic turkey, which was probably derived from the Mexican wild turkey, but had been domesticated by the Indians long before the discovery of America.  [1913 Webster]
" The Mexican wild turkey is now considered a variety of the northern species (var. Mexicana). Its tail feathers and coverts are tipped with white instead of brownish chestnut, and its flesh is white. The Central American, or ocellated, turkey (Meleagris ocellata) is more elegantly colored than the common species. See under Ocellated. The Australian, or native, turkey is a bustard (Choriotis australis). See under Native."  [1913 Webster]

Turkey beard (Bot.), a name of certain American perennial liliaceous herbs of the genus Xerophyllum. They have a dense tuft of hard, narrowly linear radical leaves, and a long raceme of small whitish flowers. Also called turkey's beard. -- Turkey berry (Bot.), a West Indian name for the fruit of certain kinds of nightshade (Solanum mammosum, and Solanum torvum). -- Turkey bird (Zoöl.), the wryneck. So called because it erects and ruffles the feathers of its neck when disturbed. [Prov. Eng.] -- Turkey buzzard (Zoöl.), a black or nearly black buzzard (Cathartes aura), abundant in the Southern United States. It is so called because its naked and warty head and neck resemble those of a turkey. It is noted for its high and graceful flight. Called also turkey vulture. -- Turkey cock (Zoöl.), a male turkey. -- Turkey hen (Zoöl.), a female turkey. -- Turkey pout (Zoöl.), a young turkey. [R.] -- Turkey vulture (Zoöl.), the turkey buzzard.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

turkey, n. (pl. -eys)
1 a large mainly domesticated game-bird, Meleagris gallopavo, orig. of N. America, having dark plumage with a green or bronze sheen, prized as food esp. on festive occasions including Christmas and, in the US, Thanksgiving.
2 the flesh of the turkey as food.
3 US sl. a a theatrical failure; a flop. b a stupid or inept person.

Idiom

talk turkey US colloq. talk frankly and straightforwardly; get down to business. turkey buzzard (or vulture) an American vulture, Cathartes aura.

Etymology

16th c.: short for turkeycock or turkeyhen, orig. applied to the guinea-fowl which was imported through Turkey, and then erron. to the Amer. bird

DEVIL DICTIONARY

turkey

n. A large bird whose flesh when eaten on certain religious anniversaries has the peculiar property of attesting piety and gratitude. Incidentally, it is pretty good eating.

THESAURUS

turkey

Bantam, Cornish hen, banty, barn-door fowl, barnyard fowl, biddy, bomb, broiler, brooder, broody hen, bust, caille, canard, caneton, capon, chanticleer, chapon, chick, chickabiddy, chicken, chicky, cock, cockerel, dindon, domestic fowl, drake, duck, duckling, dull thud, dunghill fowl, faisan, fizzle, flat failure, flop, floperoo, fowl, frost, fryer, game fowl, gander, gobbler, goose, gosling, grouse, guinea cock, guinea fowl, guinea hen, hen, hen turkey, lemon, oie, partlet, partridge, pheasant, pigeon, pigeonneau, poulard, poulet, poult, poultry, pullet, quail, roaster, rooster, setting hen, spring chicken, squab, stewing chicken, tom, tom turkey, total loss, turkey gobbler, turkey-cock, volaille, washout, wild duck