/t͡ʃɪk/
OriginFrom Middle English chicke, chike, variation of chiken (“chicken", also "chick”), from Old English ċicen, ċycen (“chicken”). Sense of "young woman" dates to at least 1860 (compare chit (“young, pert woman”)). More at chicken.
- A young bird.
“Near-synonyms: nestling, fledgling”
“Published in the Communications Earth & Environment journal, scientists conclude that due to sea ice loss last year, it is highly probable that no chicks had survived from four of the five known emper”
- especiallyA young chicken.
“Neither chick nor child was left living the length of the seacoast.”
- colloquialAn attractive, young woman; or, more generally, a woman.
“This chick's a machine but her friend is way more fun.”
“They're going to have a chick weekend. No guys allowed.”
“He'll fall for any chick with a nice smile.”
- slangA friendly fighter aircraft.
“The Aldis lamp flashes at the underside of each aircraft. It shows that the gear is down. Diegal is relaxing. This is such low responsibility, easy night duty. All the “chicks” (fighter aircraft) are ”
- dated, endearingA young child.
- India, PakistanA screen or blind made of finely slit bamboo and twine, hung in doorways or windows.
“1890, Rudyard Kipling, Letter to William Canton, 5 April, 1890, in Sandra Kemp and Lisa Lewis (eds.) Writings on writing by Rudyard Kipling, Cambridge University Press, 1996, p. 34, https://books.goog”
“It is not uncommon at meal-time to see the table servants chasing the sparrows about the room, endeavouring to drive them out while some one holds up the "chick" or bamboo net which covers the doorway”
“[…] at this time of day all the verandas were curtained with green bamboo chicks.”
- obsoleteTo sprout, as seed does in the ground; to vegetate.
“plowing in his oats with a very feet furrow; and, after they have “chicked” but before they appear aboveground”
- To compress the lips and then separate them quickly, resulting in a percussive noise.
“He chicked his lips; he cracked his whip; he winked with a knowing leer; he ran down the alley and up the stair, then down the stair and up the alley”
Formschicks(plural) · chicken(obsolete, plural) · chicks(present, singular, third-person) · chicking(participle, present) · chicked(participle, past) · chicked(past) · chik(alternative)