noun General Slang

Chick

/tʃɪk/ · noun · slang

A young woman — the beatnik counterpart to calling a guy a 'cat.'

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Definitions

1

Used to refer to a girlfriend or a woman one is interested in.

“He's bringing his chick to the session tonight.”
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2

A young woman, especially one who's part of the hip scene.

“That chick reads the coolest poetry in town.”
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3

A generic term for any young female, neutral within the slang of the time.

“A few chicks were dancing near the bandstand.”
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Chick In A Sentence

The chick on the bongos has real talent.
Some far out chick painted that mural.
She's a cool chick — knows all the cats in the scene.

Origin & Usage

From 1920s-30s jazz slang, where 'chick' meant a young woman; it pairs with 'cat' for a man. Beatniks adopted it as standard vocabulary in the 1950s. Now widely considered dated and dismissive.

Variants chickie
Tags #beatnik#1950s#beat-generation#vintage#address-term

People Also Ask

What does chick mean in beatnik slang?

It means a young woman, often one in the hip scene — the female counterpart to calling a man a 'cat.'

Where did chick come from?

From 1920s-30s jazz slang for a young woman. Beatniks carried it into the '50s as everyday hip vocabulary.

Is chick offensive now?

It's widely seen as dated and can come off as dismissive today, though in the beat era it was neutral, ordinary slang.

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