large gallinaceous bird with fan-shaped tail; widely domesticated for food
"The chef roasted a big turkey to feed everyone at the family dinner."
a Eurasian republic in Asia Minor and the Balkans; on the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1918, the Young Turks, led by Kemal Ataturk, established a republic in 1923
"After studying the history of Turkey's formation from the Ottoman Empire, I finally understood how Kemal Ataturk shaped the modern nation."
flesh of large domesticated fowl usually roasted
"The chef carved slices of juicy turkey to serve as the main course for our Thanksgiving dinner."
The guinea fowl (family Numididae).
"The farmer tried to distinguish between the common turkey and the smaller, spotted bird known as a turkey in his backyard flock."
In plain English: A turkey is a large bird that people usually eat during holidays.
"We roasted a big turkey for Christmas dinner."
Usage: In everyday conversation, this term refers to the large bird commonly eaten as food rather than the small African gamebird of the family Numididae. Use it when discussing poultry or Thanksgiving meals instead of "guinea hen" if you mean the domesticated species found in most kitchens.
a country at the intersection of Europe and Asia on the Mediterranean. Official name: Republic of Turkey
"After spending his summer in London, he traveled to Turkey to explore its historic cities along the coast."
The word "turkey" originally referred to guinea fowl because they were first brought to Europe via Turkey, though their actual name comes from a shortened form of "turkey-cock" and "turkey-hen." Eventually, the term was transferred to describe the North American bird that looks somewhat similar.