Pullet
/ˈpʊlɪt/noun
A young hen, especially one that has not yet begun to lay eggs.
Did you know?English *pullet* ultimately comes from a Latin root for a young animal, the same root behind words like *poultry* and even *pullet*’s older French forms that blurred baby birds and small livestock.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pau-
“to be small, few”
Latin
Latin
pullus
“a young animal; a chick, cub, or puppy”
Old French
OF
polet / poulet
“a young chicken; a chick”
Middle English
English
pullet
“a young hen or chicken”
Modern English
English
pullet
“a young hen, especially before it begins laying eggs”