fowl

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

fowl, n. 

•  Any bird; esp., any large edible bird.  [1913 Webster]

  "Instead of the pl. Fowls the singular is often used collectively"

  "Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air."  [1913 Webster]

  "Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not."  [1913 Webster]

  "Like a flight of fowl
  Scattered by winds and high tempestuous gusts."  [1913 Webster]
•  Any domesticated bird used as food, as a hen, turkey, duck; in a more restricted sense, the common domestic cock or hen (Gallus domesticus).  [1913 Webster]

Barndoor fowl, or Barnyard fowl, a fowl that frequents the barnyard; the common domestic cock or hen.

fowl, v. i. 

 To catch or kill wild fowl, for game or food, as by shooting, or by decoys, nets, etc.  [1913 Webster]
"Such persons as may lawfully hunt, fish, or fowl."  [1913 Webster]

Fowling piece, a light gun with smooth bore, adapted for the use of small shot in killing birds or small quadrupeds.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

fowl, n. & v. (pl. same or fowls)
--n.
1 any domestic cock or hen of various gallinaceous birds, kept for eggs and flesh.
2 the flesh of birds, esp. a domestic cock or hen, as food.
3 archaic (except in comb. or collect.) a bird (guineafowl; wildfowl).
--v.intr. catch or hunt wildfowl.

Idiom

fowl cholera see CHOLERA. fowl pest an infectious virus disease of fowls. fowl-run
1 a place where fowls may run.
2 a breeding establishment for fowls.

Derivative

fowler n. fowling n.

Etymology

OE fugol f. Gmc

THESAURUS

fowl

Bantam, Cornish hen, avifauna, baby bird, banty, barn-door fowl, barnyard fowl, beat, biddy, bird, bird of Jove, bird of Juno, bird of Minerva, bird of night, bird of passage, bird of prey, birdie, birdlife, birdy, breast, broiler, brooder, broody hen, cage bird, caille, canard, caneton, capon, chanticleer, chapon, chase, chick, chickabiddy, chicken, chicken foot, chicky, cock, cockerel, course, cygnet, dark meat, dindon, diving bird, dog, domestic fowl, dove, drake, drive, drumstick, duck, duckling, dunghill fowl, eagle, eaglet, faisan, falcon, fish-eating bird, fledgling, flightless bird, flush, follow the hounds, fruit-eating bird, fryer, fulmar, game bird, game fowl, gander, giblets, go hunting, gobbler, goose, gosling, grouse, guinea cock, guinea fowl, guinea hen, gun, hawk, hen, hen turkey, hound, hunt, hunt down, insect-eating bird, jack, jacklight, leg, migrant, migratory bird, neck, nestling, oie, oscine bird, owl, oyster, partlet, partridge, passerine bird, peacock, peafowl, peahen, perching bird, pheasant, pigeon, pigeonneau, poulard, poulet, poult, poultry, prowl after, pullet, quail, ratite, ride to hounds, roaster, rooster, run, sea bird, seed-eating bird, setting hen, shikar, shoot, shore bird, songbird, sport, spring chicken, squab, stalk, start, stewing chicken, still-hunt, storm petrel, stormy petrel, swan, thigh, tom, tom turkey, track, trail, turkey, turkey foot, turkey gobbler, turkey-cock, volaille, wading bird, warbler, water bird, waterfowl, white meat, wild duck, wildfowl, wing, wishbone

ROGET THESAURUS

fowl

Animal

N animal, animal kingdom, fauna, brute creation, beast, brute, creature, critter, wight, created being, creeping thing, living thing, dumb animal, dumb creature, zoophyte, mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, crustacean, shellfish, mollusk, worm, insect, arthropod, microbe, microbe, animalcule, alligator, crocodile, saurian, dinosaur (extinct), snake, serpent, viper, eft, asp, aspick, frog, toad, trout, bass, tuna, muskelunge, sailfish, sardine, mackerel, ant, mosquito, bee, honeybee, tardigrade, spider, biped, quadruped, webfoot, flocks and herds, live stock, domestic animals, wild animals, game, ferae naturae, beasts of the field, fowls of the air, denizens of the sea, black game, black grouse, blackcock, duck, grouse, plover, rail, snipe, horse, cattle, kine, ox, bull, bullock, cow, milch cow, calf, heifer, shorthorn, sheep, lamb, lambkin, ewe, ram, tup, pig, swine, boar, hog, sow, steer, stot, tag, teg, bison, buffalo, yak, zebu, dog, cat, dog, hound, pup, puppy, whelp, cur, mongrel, house dog, watch dog, sheep dog, shepherd's dog, sporting dog, fancy dog, lap dog, toy dog, bull dog, badger dog, mastiff, blood hound, grey hound, stag hound, deer hound, fox hound, otter hound, harrier, beagle, spaniel, pointer, setter, retriever, Newfoundland, water dog, water spaniel, pug, poodle, turnspit, terrier, fox terrier, Skye terrier, Dandie Dinmont, collie, feline, puss, pussy, grimalkin, gib cat, tom cat, fox, Reynard, vixen, stag, deer, hart, buck, doe, roe, caribou, coyote, elk, moose, musk ox, sambar, bird, poultry, fowl, cock, hen, chicken, chanticleer, partlet, rooster, dunghill cock, barn door fowl, feathered tribes, feathered songster, singing bird, dicky bird, canary, warbler, finch, aberdevine, cushat, cygnet, ringdove, siskin, swan, wood pigeon, vermin, varmint, pest, animal, zoological equine, bovine, vaccine, canine, feline, fishy, piscatory, piscatorial, molluscous, vermicular, gallinaceous, rasorial, solidungulate, soliped.