fowl
fowl Lexical Profile
fowl Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A domesticated bird kept for its eggs or meat, especially a chicken, turkey, duck, or goose.
"The farmer kept a large flock of diverse fowl in the spacious barnyard."
Any bird, particularly one that is hunted as game.
"The extensive wetlands serve as a vital sanctuary for migrating waterfowl and other wild fowl."
• verb
To hunt, shoot, or trap wild birds.
"He went fowling in the coastal marshes during the early hours of the morning."
Word Nuance & Usage
Take care not to confuse 'fowl' (a bird) with its homophone 'foul' (something dirty, offensive, or against the rules). The plural can be either 'fowl' or 'fowls', though 'fowl' is generally preferred when referring collectively to poultry.
• Rhymes for fowl
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'fugol' meaning 'bird', of Germanic origin. It shares roots with Dutch 'vogel' and German 'Vogel'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.