chicken-or-egg question

noun

A supposed paradox concerning whether chickens or chicken eggs existed first.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounchicken-or-egg question (plural chicken-or-egg questions)

plural chicken-or-egg questions · alternative chicken or egg question · alternative chicken-and-egg question · alternative chicken and egg question · alternative chicken-and-egg problem · alternative hen and egg question · alternative hen-and-egg question · alternative hen or egg question · alternative hen-or-egg question · alternative hen-and-egg problem

  1. human sciencesA supposed paradox concerning whether chickens or chicken eggs existed first.
  2. broadlyA question to decide which of two interdependent things happened first.

Translations

Arabic مُعْضِلَة الدَجَاجَةِ وَالبَيْضَةِ
  • مُعْضِلَة الدَجَاجَةِ وَالبَيْضَةِ (muʕḍilat ad-dajājati wa-l-bayḍati)a question to decide which of two interdependent things happened first
Chinese Mandarin 先有鷄還是先有蛋 /先有鸡还是先有蛋
  • 先有鷄還是先有蛋 /先有鸡还是先有蛋 (xiān yǒu jī háishì xiān yǒu dàn)a question to decide which of two interdependent things happened first
Dutch kip-en-eiprobleem
  • kip-en-eiprobleema question to decide which of two interdependent things happened first
French paradoxe de l’œuf et de la poule
  • paradoxe de l’œuf et de la poulea question to decide which of two interdependent things happened first
German Henne-Ei-Problem
  • Henne-Ei-Problema question to decide which of two interdependent things happened first
Italian paradosso dell'uovo e della gallina
  • paradosso dell'uovo e della gallinaa question to decide which of two interdependent things happened first
Japanese 鶏が先か、卵が先か
  • 鶏が先か、卵が先か (tamago ga saki ka)a question to decide which of two interdependent things happened first
Korean 닭이 먼저냐? 일이 먼저냐?
  • 닭이 먼저냐? 일이 먼저냐? (dalgi meonjeonya? iri meonjeonya?)a question to decide which of two interdependent things happened first
Portuguese paradoxo do ovo e da galinha
  • paradoxo do ovo e da galinhaa question to decide which of two interdependent things happened first
Russian пробле́ма ку́рицы и яйца́, диле́мма ку́рицы и яйца́
  • пробле́ма ку́рицы и яйца́ (probléma kúricy i jajcá)a question to decide which of two interdependent things happened first
  • диле́мма ку́рицы и яйца́ (dilémma kúricy i jajcá)a question to decide which of two interdependent things happened first
Spanish paradoja del huevo y la gallina
  • paradoja del huevo y la gallinaa question to decide which of two interdependent things happened first
Cite this entry
APA

chicken-or-egg question. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chicken-or-egg%20question

MLA

“chicken-or-egg question.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chicken-or-egg%20question. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chicken-or-egg question,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chicken-or-egg%20question.

Source: chicken-or-egg question on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.