'turkey' originates from Late Middle English, via the name of the country 'Turkey' (from Medieval Latin 'Turchia' or Greek 'Tourkia'), where the root 'Turk' referred to a person from that region.

'turkey' changed from Middle English forms such as 'turke' or phrases like 'turkey-cock' and 'turkey-hen' (the bird imported to Europe via Turkish traders) and eventually became the modern English word 'turkey'.

Initially it referred to birds associated with trade routes through Turkey (i.e., birds imported via Turkish merchants); over time it came to denote the New World bird Meleagris gallopavo and then acquired extended senses (e.g., 'failure').