noun
plural -ens
[count] :a bird that is raised by people for its eggs and meat
[noncount] :the meat of the chicken used as food
[count] informal :a person who is afraid :coward
count your chickens
If you count your chickens or (US) count your chickens before they hatch or (Brit) before they're hatched, you believe that something you want to happen will definitely happen before you know for certain that it really will.
your chickens come home to roost
adjective
not used before a noun
[more ~; most ~] informal :too afraid to do something
verb
-ens; -ened; -ening
chicken out
[phrasal verb] informal :to decide not to do something because you are afraid