- chicken-or-egg question
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A question to decide which of two interdependent things happened first.
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chicken-or-egg question
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chicken-and-egg — /chik euhn euhn eg , euhnd /, adj. of, pertaining to, or being a dilemma of which of two things came first or of which is the cause and which the effect: a chicken and egg question of whether matter or energy is the basis of the universe. Also,… … Universalium
chicken-and-egg — ► chicken and egg (of a situation) in which each of two things appears to be necessary to the other. [ORIGIN: from the question ‘What came first, the chicken or the egg?’] Main Entry: ↑chicken … English terms dictionary
chicken-and-egg — [chik ənənd eg′] adj. of or relating to a paradoxical situation, question, etc. involving two factors, each of which in turn causes or leads to the other … English World dictionary
chicken-and-egg — UK / US adjective [only before noun] a chicken and egg situation is one where it is impossible to say which of two things happened first or caused the other to happen • Etymology: From the question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? ,… … English dictionary
chicken-and-egg — ˌchik(ə̇)nən(d)¦eg, ¦āg adjective Etymology: so called from the proverbial question “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” : of, relating to, or being a cause and effect dilemma * * * adj used to describe a situation in which it is difficult … Useful english dictionary
chicken-and-egg — denoting a situation in which each of two things appears to be necessary to the other. [from the question ‘Which came first, the chicken or the egg?’] → chicken … English new terms dictionary
chicken-and-egg — adjective Etymology: from the proverbial question “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Date: 1959 of, relating to, or being a cause and effect dilemma … New Collegiate Dictionary
Chicken or the egg — Illustration from Tacuina sanitatis, Fourteenth century The chicken or the egg causality dilemma is commonly stated as which came first, the chicken or the egg? To ancient philosophers, the question about the first chicken or egg also evoked the … Wikipedia
chicken — noun 1》 a domestic fowl kept for its eggs or meat, especially a young one. 2》 informal a coward. ↘a game in which the first person to lose their nerve and withdraw from a dangerous situation is the loser. adjective informal cowardly. verb… … English new terms dictionary
chicken — n., adj., & v. n. (pl. same or chickens) 1 a young bird of a domestic fowl. 2 a a domestic fowl prepared as food. b its flesh. 3 a youthful person (usu.with neg. : is no chicken). 4 colloq. a children s pastime testing courage, usu. recklessly.… … Useful english dictionary
