chicken-feed
Definition
- Noun:
- Literal meaning: "chicken-feed" refers to food given to chickens, typically consisting of grain or other feed.
- Colloquial meaning (trivial amount): In informal American English, "chicken-feed" denotes a sum of money that is considered very small or insignificant, often in the context of betting, finance, or crime.
- Slang meaning (deliberate misinformation): In espionage or intelligence contexts, "chicken-feed" refers to false information intentionally leaked to mislead an adversary.
Usage Examples
- Literal meaning:
- The farmer bought a bag of chicken-feed for the hens. (Food specifically for chickens.)
- Colloquial meaning:
- The fine was only fifty dollars — chicken-feed to a wealthy businessman. (A very small amount of money, trivial to someone rich.)
- Slang meaning:
- The agent leaked chicken-feed to the enemy to protect the real operation. (Deliberately false information to deceive.)
Advanced Usage
- "chicken-feed" as an insult: Used to dismiss something as worthless or negligible.
- He earns chicken-feed compared to his colleagues. (He earns an extremely low salary.)
Variants and Related Words
- Chicken (n): a domestic fowl, or a cowardly person (slang).
- Feed (n): food for animals.
- Chicken-feed is a compound noun and does not have common variants; it is used as a fixed term.
Synonyms
- Trifle: a thing of little value or importance.
- The cost was a mere trifle. (A small, insignificant amount.)
- Pittance: a very small or inadequate amount of money.
- He worked for a pittance. (A very low wage.)
Related Idioms
- "chicken-feed" (slang for small money): Often used in contexts like gambling or business.
- The bet was chicken-feed to him. (The amount wagered was trivial.)
- "feeding someone chicken-feed": Giving false information to mislead.
- The spy was fed chicken-feed by his handler. (Given false intelligence.)
Additional Notes
- The term "chicken-feed" is informal and may be considered slang in its monetary and espionage senses. It is not used in formal writing.
- Do not confuse with "chicken feed" as a literal phrase (two separate words) meaning food for chickens, which is the same meaning but often written as one word in compound form.