Etymology Clipping of turkey-cock and turkey-hen, originally denoting the guinea fowl, an African bird that was first imported to Europe through Turkey, but there is some controversy over the origin. The word was then transferred to the superficially similar North American bird Meleagris gallopavo.
A domesticated bird of Meleagris gallopavo domesticus.
It was a Turkey! He never could have stood upon his legs, that bird. He would have snapped 'em short off in a minute, like sticks of sealing-wax.1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Five. The End of It.”, in A Christmas Carol. […], London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 157:
4
The flesh or meat of this bird eaten as food.
All week after Thanksgiving, I had turkey sandwiches for lunch.
5
With a distinguishing word: a bird resembling the Meleagris gallopavo (for example, the brush turkey or bush turkey (Alectura lathami), and the water turkey (Anhinga anhinga)).
6
Bowling, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports An act of throwing three strikes in a row.
7
Medicine, SciencesDerogatory, Slang A patient feigning symptoms; a person faking illness or injury; a malingerer.
Mumford (1970) noted that the terms ‘crock’, ‘gomer’, and ‘turkey’, were sometimes utilized by interns to designate different types of undesirable patients, and sometimes used synonymously.[1976, Stephen Charles Frankel, Emergency Medical Care in an Urban Area (Ph.D. dissertation in Anthropology), Berkeley, Calif.: University of California, Berkeley, →OCLC, page 118:
8
Australia, US, Dated, Slang A pack carried by a lumberman; a bindle; also, a large travel bag, a suitcase.
And despite the gross incompetence of Hemmings' direction, the ludicrous script, and the heavy-handed acting, there remains a stellar reason to see and enjoy Just a Gigolo: David Bowie. David Bowie is a great actor, and not even this turkey can obscure that fact.1981 August 8, Rob Schmieder, “Starring Bowie and Berlin”, in Gay Community News, page 11:
1 more example
There were a few turkeys. In the rush to present a futuristic vision, the railways' heritage was largely forgotten and we ended up with new stations at Euston and at Coventry, its brash sidekick which I particularly loathe, although (of course) it won design awards.2021 April 7, Christian Wolmar, “Electrification is a given... but comfort matters as well”, in RAIL, number 928, page 46:
Etymology From Middle English Turkye, from Anglo-Norman Turkye, Medieval Latin Turcia, from Turcus (“Turk”), from Byzantine Greek Τοῦρκος (Toûrkos), from Classical Persian تُرْک (turk), from Middle Persian [script needed] (twlk' /turk/), from Old Turkic 𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰜 (t²ür²k̥). By surface analysis, Turke + -y.
1
Synonym of Turkey red (“dyed or colored Turkey red”).
2
Obsolete Synonym of Turkey blue (“dyed or colored Turkey blue”).
Related terms
Turkey Street
Turkey
noun
Etymology From Middle English Turkye, from Anglo-Norman Turkye, Medieval Latin Turcia, from Turcus (“Turk”), from Byzantine Greek Τοῦρκος (Toûrkos), from Classical Persian تُرْک (turk), from Middle Persian [script needed] (twlk' /turk/), from Old Turkic 𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰜 (t²ür²k̥). By surface analysis, Turke + -y.
1
Synonym of Turkey red (“a vibrant red dye or its color”).
2
Obsolete Synonym of Turkey blue (“a deep indigo dye or its color”).