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, chiefly N. Amer. a stupid or inept person. — PHRASES talk turkey N. Amer. informal talk frankly and openly. — ORIGIN short for TURKEYCOCK or turkeyhen, originally applied to the guineafowl (which was imported through Turkey), and then erroneously to the American bird because it was considered to be a related species.
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