poultry

noun

poul·​try ˈpōl-trē How to pronounce poultry (audio)
Synonyms of poultrynext
: domesticated birds kept for eggs or meat

Examples of poultry in a Sentence

This wine goes well with poultry.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The infection, known as psittacosis, or parrot fever, can spread from many different birds, however, including poultry and pigeons. — Rachel Melegrito, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026 The customer really values the highest quality meat and poultry to bring home. — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026 That rule excludes poultry birds entirely, meaning that the vast majority of animals raised for food aren’t covered — a major oversight. — Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 24 Oct. 2026 This strain of bird flu, which began ripping through American poultry farms in early 2022, has proved adept at jumping to other species. — Nat Lash, ProPublica, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for poultry

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pultrie, from Anglo-French pulletrie, from pulleter poulterer, from pullet chicken — more at pullet

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poultry was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

poultice
poultry
poultry bug
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Poultry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poultry. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

poultry

noun
poul·​try ˈpōl-trē How to pronounce poultry (audio)
: domesticated birds kept for eggs or meat
Etymology

Middle English pultrie "fowl raised for food," from early French pulletrie (same meaning), from pulleter "one who raises poultry," from pullet "chicken" — related to pullet

More from Merriam-Webster on poultry

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for poultry

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poultry

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