French word

poussin

Pronunciation

IPA/pusɛ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nounchick

Example

Le poussin suit sa mère dans la ferme.

The chick follows its mother around the farm.

Illustration for poussin (chick)

More examples

Il a offert un poussin en peluche à sa fille.

He gave his daughter a stuffed chick.

Core concept

A small, fluffy chick taking short steps behind a hen.

Common phrases

  • petit poussin

    little chick

  • un poussin en peluche

    stuffed chick

Similar words

œuf: A round food covered by a shell.
poulet: Chicken meat prepared as food.
poule: An adult female chicken that lays eggs.
coq: An adult male chicken that may crow.

Definition in French

Petit oiseau de la poule, nouveau-né ou très jeune, couvert de duvet.

Word origin

The word comes through Old French poucin from Latin pullus, a term for a young animal that became specific to a young bird in French.

Usage tips

  • The final n is not pronounced separately: poussin ends with the nasal vowel heard in French words such as voisin.

Opposites

Word lists with this word