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noun

fowl

fowl

Fowl (noun) means a bird, especially one raised or hunted for food, such as chickens, ducks, or geese. Example: “The farm raised fowl for eggs and meat.”

noun
1
A bird, especially one raised or hunted for food, such as chickens, ducks, or geese.
"The farm raised fowl for eggs and meat."
"Wild fowl gathered at the edge of the lake."
verb
1
To hunt birds.
"The old hunter still went fowling every autumn."

How to use fowl

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA bird, especially poultry raised for food.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "foul," meaning dirty or against the rules — they sound the same but are unrelated words.

Easily confused with
Common pairings
wild fowl waterfowl fowl and game

Word forms

fowler comparative, fowled past tense, fowl plural, fowls plural, fowls singular, fowlest superlative

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Test yourself on “fowl” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The farm raised _____ for eggs and meat.

Etymology

From Old English fugol, "bird" — related to the verb "fly," since a fowl was originally just any flying creature.

Origin: Old English

gamefowl poultry wildfowl

Related words

Rhymes for fowl

See all rhymes for fowl →

Frequently asked questions

What does “fowl” mean?

The word “fowl” means a bird, especially one raised or hunted for food, such as chickens, ducks, or geese. In plain terms, a bird, especially poultry raised for food.

How do you pronounce “fowl”?

“Fowl” is pronounced fowl (/faʊl/ in IPA).

How do you use “fowl” in a sentence?

Here is “fowl” used in a sentence: “The farm raised fowl for eggs and meat.”

What is another word for “fowl”?

Words with a similar meaning to “fowl” include gamefowl, poultry and wildfowl.

What part of speech is “fowl”?

Depending on how it is used, “fowl” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “fowl” come from?

The word “fowl” comes from Old English. From Old English fugol, "bird" — related to the verb "fly," since a fowl was originally just any flying creature.

How many meanings does “fowl” have?

“Fowl” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a bird, especially one raised or hunted for food, such as chickens, ducks, or geese.

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial