Middle English Dictionary Entry
chiken n.
Entry Info
| Forms | chiken n. Also chike, chico(u)n & cheke(n. Pl. (early) chikene, chik(e)nes, chickenes & chẹ̄̆k(e)nes, chẹ̄̆kes. |
| Etymology | WS cīcen (from *cīecen) & A *cēcen; pl. cī̆cenu, *cē̆cenu; cp. Du. kuiken, kieken, G Küch-lein. ME has the sg. forms chīke, chẹ̄ke, chike(n, as shown in rimes; the trisyllabic pl. forms exhibit the normal shortening of the root vowel, which was later extended to the sg. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
A young chicken; chick, pullet; prob. also any chicken.
Associated quotations
- a1200(OE) Hat.Gosp.(Hat 38)Mat.23.37 : Swa syo henn hyre chikene under hyre fiþera gegadereð.
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)95 : Nym kedys and chekenys and hew hem in morsellys.
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)101 : Checonys and qualys.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Tob.8.11 : And it is do aboute chykenys [WB(2): the cockis] crowing.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.380 : To boille the chiknes with the marybones.
- c1390(c1350) NHom.(2) PSanct.(Vrn)94/36 : As þe hen Gedereþ hire Chikenes..vndur hire whynges.
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)p.24 : Chykens in Cawdel.
- a1400(?a1325) Bonav.Medit.(1) (Hrl 1701)286 : Behold þe dyscyplys yn here wendyng, As chekenes crepyn vndyr þe dame wyng.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)275/5 : He mai ete fleisch of capouns & hennes & chikenes.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)4.38 : A dozeine chickenes.
- a1400 Recipe MS Hal.in Rel.Ant.1 (Hal 335)55 : Take a cocke chyke and putte a knyffe throw his hede..and he schale go forthe and krow.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)541 : Hir flesh tendre as is a chike, With bente browis smothe and slyke.
- (1425) Doc.Brewer in Bk.Lond.E.187/1477 : Item, viij dosseyn Chekenes xiij s. iiij d.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)28b/b : Ȝeue hym þe broth of a chiken.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)44a/b : Ȝolkes of airen and to chekenes.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)32 : Schyconys with þe bruesse. Take halfe a dosyn chykonys [etc.].
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)3437 : Ete þeroff ryȝt faste j schal, As it were a tendyr chyke, To se hou þe oþere wyl lyke.
- c1450 Dc.Prov.(Dc 52)48 : As þe cocke croweth, so þe chekyn lernyth.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)198/627 : Take shell of egges, when the chekyns bene hawght, and brenne hem.
- (1457) Doc.in HMC Rep.5 App.492a : Paid for xx chekys.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)12728 : I was take vp in-to lyte, As a chykne off a kyte.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)144 : As þe hous-hennes..cherichen her chekonys fro chele of þe wynter.
- (1478) Paston (Gairdner)6.2 : Men sey..that he wolde ete the henne and alle hyr chekynnys.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Add 9066)370 : The henne..Called here chekyns, for to haue refute vndire here wynges.
- a1500 Henley Husb.(Sln 686)57 : Þe cheknys þat your sytyng henne hathe broughte furthe.
- a1500 Hrl.1002 Gloss.(Hrl 1002)624 : Kocke, henne, chekynge: Gallus, galena, pullus.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)36/16 : Take a ȝonge chyke..and take out þe gottus.
- c1500(1342) The fals fox (Cmb Ee.1.12)30 : He came ayene yet the next weke, And toke awey both henne and cheke.
- a1550 *Ripley CAlch.(BodeMus 63)566 : The substaunce of an egg by nature is wrought Into a chicke.
2.
The young of any bird.
Associated quotations
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)543 : Pullus: chiken uel brid.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)37b/b : Of suche an ey comeþ..a chicke wt one body..& foure feet & iiij wynges.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)140b/b : Þo chikenes come out of þe schelle a lyue and ful schap.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)150a/b : Þe pokok..haþ chikenes in þe ende of þre ȝere.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)322b/b : Þe chike in þe ey is sonner..y schape in somer þan in wynter.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)323a/a : Of an ey wiþ tweye ȝelkis comeþ tweye chikenes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)323a/b : Þe chicoun in þe ey.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)53b/b : Pullus: a chyk or a colte.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)74 : Chekyn: Pullus.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4984 : Þar bade a brid on a boghe..With bathe þe chekis & þe chauyls as a chykin brid.
3.
Applied disparagingly to human beings: fendes chike, the devil's offspring, rascal; cherles chekyn, son of a churl, coward.
Associated quotations
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)96/2025 : For he is þe fendes chike; Þer whiles he liuez þou mai sike.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)4331 : He semeþ ful wel þe deuels chyke [rime: lyke], y-sprong of þe pyt of helle.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)4181 : The churles chekyne hade chaungyde his armes.
4.
As a surname; also, Chike-hed, ?Chik-cok.
Associated quotations
- (1214) CRR(2) 797 : Rogerus Chike.
- (1214) CRR(2) 7265 : Willelmus Chiken.
- (1238) Close R.Hen.III25 : Claricia Chiken.
- (1279) Pleas Som.in Som.RS 41194 : Thomas Chyke.
- (1297) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 1650 : Rob. Chycok.
- (1297) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 16120 : Amandus Chekyn.
- (1301) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 21104 : Alexandro Chikehed.