Animal rights campaigners are asking the Oxford English Dictionary to remove a definition of chicken that the organisation considers derogatory.
PETA, which stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has written to the dictionary’s editorial team over its association of the word with cowardliness.
The OED is operated by Oxford University Press, based on Walton Street in Oxford.
In its correspondence, PETA says chickens can display remarkable courage and that mother hens may place themselves at risk to safeguard their chicks.
The organisation says hens use their wings to protect their young from predators, while roosters can defend a flock when it is threatened.
PETA argues that the dictionary’s treatment of the term reinforces inaccurate beliefs about chickens and contributes to speciesism, described in the letter as the human-held view that other animal species are inferior.
The organisation maintains that language which sustains negative stereotypes can make it easier to justify killing and eating animals said to possess intelligence, communication abilities and empathy.
Elisa Allen, PETA’s vice president of programmes, said the dictionary should reject descriptions that misrepresent chickens and revise its entry to recognise their natural intelligence, communication skills and concern for others.
According to PETA, chickens can identify the faces of more than 100 other birds, form intricate social hierarchies and roost together in a companionable manner.
The organisation’s motto states, in part, that animals are not intended to be eaten or abused.
The Oxford English Dictionary was launched online in 2000.
The dictionary has been contacted for a response.