pullet: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
RareSpecialist / Technical / Rural
Quick answer
What does “pullet” mean?
A young domestic hen, especially one less than a year old that has not yet begun to lay eggs regularly.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A young domestic hen, especially one less than a year old that has not yet begun to lay eggs regularly.
The term can refer to any young female domestic chicken. In broader or historical contexts, it might be used more loosely for any young fowl. In some regional dialects, 'pullet' may refer specifically to a young hen until her first moult.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. The word is equally technical in both varieties. Regional rural usage may be slightly more common in the UK, but it remains a specialist term.
Connotations
Associated with farming, smallholdings, and traditional agriculture. In both dialects, it evokes a rustic or technical setting rather than everyday conversation.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general corpora. Its use is almost entirely confined to poultry breeding contexts, agricultural shows, and historical or rural literature.
Grammar
How to Use “pullet” in a Sentence
[to buy/sell/rear] + a pullet[pullet] + [is/are] + [growing/laying]a [breed] + pulletVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in the agricultural supply chain for pricing and selling young laying stock. E.g., 'This month's price list for point-of-lay pullets.'
Academic
Used in agricultural, veterinary, and zoology texts when specifying the age and sex of Gallus gallus domesticus. E.g., 'The study compared nutrient absorption in pullets and mature hens.'
Everyday
Virtually never used in standard conversation unless the speaker is a poultry keeper or has a rural background.
Technical
The standard, precise term in poultry science for a female chicken from chickhood until she enters the laying flock.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “pullet”
- Using 'pullet' for a young male chicken (a cockerel).
- Using 'pullet' as a general term for any chicken.
- Mispronouncing it as /ˈpjuːlɪt/ (like 'pew').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A chick is a newly hatched chicken of either sex. A pullet is a young female chicken, typically from a few weeks old up to the point she starts laying eggs regularly.
There is no precise age. A pullet technically becomes a hen when she matures and begins her first full laying cycle, usually around 5-6 months old, often marked by her first moult.
Yes, but they are not typically raised for meat. Meat chickens are a different breed, slaughtered young (broilers). A pullet raised for eggs would be considered poor value as meat. In some contexts, 'pullet' may refer to a young meat bird, but this is less common.
No, it is a low-frequency, specialist term. You will encounter it primarily in farming, agriculture, historical texts, or among people who keep backyard chickens.
A young domestic hen, especially one less than a year old that has not yet begun to lay eggs regularly.
Pullet is usually specialist / technical / rural in register.
Pullet: in British English it is pronounced /ˈpʊlɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈpʊlɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “pullet surprise (a pun on 'bullet surprise')”
- “neither chick nor pullet (archaic, meaning of indeterminate age)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a PULLET as a young lady chicken that hasn't yet PULLed its weight by laying eggs regularly. PULL + LET = a chicken you LET grow before it PULLs (lays) eggs.
Conceptual Metaphor
YOUTH / FEMININITY (in poultry): A pullet is to a hen as a filly is to a mare, or a maiden is to a woman.
Practice
Quiz
What is the defining characteristic of a pullet?