poult
nounUK /pɒlt/ · US /poʊlt/
Etymology From Middle English pult, a variant of pulet, polet, from Old French poulet (“young fowl”), diminutive of poule (“hen”), from Latin pulla. For the development of the stressed vowel, see poultry. Doublet of pullet.
1
A young bird, a chick; now especially, a young game bird (turkey, partridge, grouse etc.).
- ‘I even questioned,’ said he, ‘whether there will not be, in about a week's time, some nice turkey powts.’1792, Charlotte Smith, Desmond, Broadview, published 2001, page 82:
- And, besides, she [the old grouse's wife] was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; […]1863, Charles Kingsley, The Water Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby:
1 more example
- After an hour of fishing I saw a flock of turkeys on the opposite bank and shot one of the poults.2013, Philipp Meyer, The Son, Simon & Schuster, published 2014, page 19:
- Derived terms
- heath-poult
- Related terms
- poultry