Definition

Noun: A pea-chick is a young peafowl; a baby or juvenile peacock or peahen.

Examples

• The mother peahen carefully guarded her pea-chicks as they foraged for food.
• We were surprised to see how different the dull, brown pea-chick looked compared to its brilliantly colored father.
• The zoo's aviary has successfully hatched several pea-chicks this season.

Advanced Usage

• The term is specifically used for the young of the species and is not a general term for any small bird. It is a compound noun formed from "pea-" (from peafowl) and "-chick" (a young bird).

Variants and Related Words

• Peafowl (n): The general term for the species, which includes both peacocks (males) and peahens (females).
• Peacock (n): Specifically, an adult male peafowl.
• Peahen (n): Specifically, an adult female peafowl.
• Peachick (n): An alternative, single-word spelling of pea-chick.

Synonyms

• Young peafowl: The direct descriptive synonym.
• Peafowl chick: A less common but clear alternative phrasing.

Notes on Meaning

• The word pea-chick refers exclusively to the juvenile stage of the bird's life. Once it matures and develops its full plumage (especially in males), it is no longer called a pea-chick.

Noun

1. a young peafowl