turkey

turkey
turkey (n.) 1540s, "guinea fowl" (Numida meleagris), imported from Madagascar via Turkey, by Near East traders known as turkey merchants. The larger North American bird (Meleagris gallopavo) was domesticated by the Aztecs, introduced to Spain by conquistadors (1523) and thence to wider Europe, by way of North Africa (then under Ottoman rule) and Turkey (Indian corn was originally turkey corn or turkey wheat in English for the same reason).
The word turkey was first applied to it in English 1550s because it was identified with or treated as a species of the guinea fowl. The Turkish name for it is hindi, lit. "Indian," probably via M.Fr. dinde (c.1600, contracted from poulet d'inde, lit. "chicken from India," Mod.Fr. dindon), based on the common misconception that the New World was eastern Asia.
The New World bird itself reputedly reached England by 1524 at the earliest estimate, though a date in the 1530s seems more likely. By 1575, turkey was becoming the usual main course at an English Christmas. Meaning "inferior show, failure," is 1927 in show business slang, probably from the bird's reputation for stupidity. Meaning "stupid, ineffectual person" is recorded from 1951. Turkey shoot "something easy" is World War II-era, in ref. to marksmanship contests where turkeys were tied behind a log with their heads showing as targets.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Turkey — Turkey–Kurdistan Workers Party conflict Date August 15, 1984 – present Location Turkey, Iraqi Kurdistan Result Ongoing …   Wikipedia

  • TURKEY — TURKEY, modern republic in Asia Minor and S.E. Europe (see ottoman empire for previous period). In the peace treaty of Lausanne (July 24, 1923), Turkey established complete sovereignty in Anatolia, the southeastern part of Thrace, and some… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Turkey — Tur key, n.; pl. {Turkeys}. [So called because it was formerly erroneously believed that it came originally from Turkey: cf. F. Turquie Turkey. See {Turk}.] (Zo[ o]l.) Any large American gallinaceous bird belonging to the genus {Meleagris},… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Turkey — Tur key, n. [Cf. 2d {Turkey}.] An empire in the southeast of Europe and southwest of Asia. [1913 Webster] {Turkey carpet}, a superior kind of carpet made in Asia Minor and adjoining countries, having a deep pile and composed of pure wool with a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Turkey — (englisch für „Türkei“ oder „Truthahn“) kann bedeuten: Turkey (North Carolina), Kleinstadt in den USA Turkey (Texas), Kleinstadt in den USA Turkey Island, verschiedene Inseln in Kanada und den USA einen Ausdruck im Bowling, siehe Bowling #Glossar …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Turkey — Turkey, NC U.S. town in North Carolina Population (2000): 262 Housing Units (2000): 105 Land area (2000): 0.398726 sq. miles (1.032696 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.398726 sq. miles (1.032696 …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • turkey — [tʉr′kē] n. pl. turkeys or turkey [earlier Turkey cock, term orig. applied to the guinea fowl, sometimes imported through Turkey and for a time identified with the Am fowl ] ☆ 1. a) any of a family (Meleagrididae) of large, gallinaceous North… …   English World dictionary

  • turkey — ► NOUN (pl. turkeys) 1) a large mainly domesticated game bird native to North America, having a bald head and (in the male) red wattles. 2) informal, chiefly N. Amer. something extremely unsuccessful, especially a play or film. 3) informal,… …   English terms dictionary

  • Turkey — a country which is mainly in west Asia but partly in southeast Europe, between the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Population: 66,494,000 (2001). Capital: Ankara. Until the early 20th century, Turkey was the centre of the large Ottoman Empire,… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Turkey, NC — U.S. town in North Carolina Population (2000): 262 Housing Units (2000): 105 Land area (2000): 0.398726 sq. miles (1.032696 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.398726 sq. miles (1.032696 sq. km)… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”