What is the difference among the words?

hen, , rooster, chick, chicken

Is chicken a general term for hens or ? Or does chicken mean 'chick'?

As you can see -- the Jiskha filter didn't accept c-o-c-k. It's a perfectly legitimate word when applied to birds such as chickens. However, it also has a slang sexual connotation.

Chicken is the word used for both male and female of this bird.

Rooster and c-o-c-k are the male chickens. Hen is a female chicken.

Chick means a baby chicken.

The words hen, , rooster, chick, and chicken are all related to different stages or genders of the domestic fowl species known as Gallus gallus domesticus. Let's break down the differences among these terms.

1. Hen: A hen is an adult female chicken. It is usually used to refer to a chicken that is over a year old and has reached sexual maturity. Hens are known for laying eggs and are typically smaller in size compared to roosters.

2. : A is an adult male chicken. It is also referred to as a rooster. are typically larger than hens, and they have prominent combs and wattles on their heads. They are known for their crowing sound and are responsible for fertilizing eggs.

3. Rooster: Rooster is another term for an adult male chicken or . It is used interchangeably with the word '.' Both '' and 'rooster' refer to the same thing – an adult male chicken.

4. Chick: A chick is a young chicken. It is the term used for a baby chicken that has recently hatched. Chicks are usually covered in down feathers and are unable to fly. They gradually grow into adult chickens over time.

5. Chicken: The term 'chicken' is a general term that can refer to both hens (adult female chickens) and /roosters (adult male chickens). In everyday language, 'chicken' is commonly used to refer to the meat of a domesticated bird. However, in the context of live birds, 'chicken' can encompass both male and female members of the species.

To summarize, 'hen' refers to an adult female chicken, '' and 'rooster' are interchangeable terms for adult male chickens, 'chick' is a baby chicken, and 'chicken' is a broader term that can refer to both male and female chickens.