The Collaborative International Dictionary
Fowl \Fowl\ (foul), n. Note: Instead of the pl. Fowls the singular is often used collectively. [OE. foul, fowel, foghel, fuhel, fugel, AS. fugol; akin to OS. fugal D. & G. vogel, OHG. fogal, Icel. & Dan. fugl, Sw. fogel, f[*a]gel, Goth. fugls; of unknown origin, possibly by loss of l, from the root of E. fly, or akin to E. fox, as being a tailed animal.]
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Any bird; esp., any large edible bird.
Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air.
--Gen. i. 26.Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not.
--Matt. vi. 26.Like a flight of fowl Scattered by winds and high tempestuous gusts.
--Shak. -
Any domesticated bird used as food, as a hen, turkey, duck; in a more restricted sense, the common domestic cock or hen ( Gallus domesticus).
Barndoor fowl, or Barnyard fowl, a fowl that frequents the barnyard; the common domestic cock or hen.
Usage examples of "barnyard fowl".
Two deft fingers to her mouth, a shrill penetrating whistle, and Mom could bring dogs, cats, barnyard fowl and whatever else was in the vicinity to converge upon her where she stood, usually beneath one of the carports in an area designated for outdoor feeding, laughing and bountiful as the Goose Lady in our well-worn old copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales.
She did not seem to notice but merely stared at him as though he were some barnyard fowl.
Instantly, all the barnyard fowl ran toward the falling pebbles, pecking and scratching for corn.
It was more that of a barnyard fowl, and the expression of the avian features was spiteful, vindictive.
I could knock that (guilty of fornication with a barnyard fowl) pile down with my mace!
As Riatha melted snow for water to boil the used dressings, they spoke of taking baths, and Gwylly told of his dog, Black, as a pup chasing ducks at the pond, the fowl taking to the water, Black leaping after, and the goose that came to the rescue of the ducks, forever curing Black of the notion of hounding barnyard fowl.
Now the younger Harpy moved among the Faces, chattering to herself like a barnyard fowl, full of clucks and keraws.
The courtyard was dusted with snow and within were contained barnyard fowl and animals—.
With barnyard fowl, first-time mothers weren't always very motherly.
Even Constantia, I could see, was no more moved by the victim's anguished effort to escape than she would have been by the squawking of some barnyard fowl.