A turkey is a large bird native to North America, famous for two very different reasons: wild turkeys are clever, fast-running birds that live in forests and fields, while domestic turkeys are the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner.

Wild turkeys can fly short distances, run up to 25 miles per hour, and are surprisingly intelligent. Benjamin Franklin admired them so much he suggested the turkey, not the bald eagle, should be America's national bird. Male turkeys, called toms or gobblers, puff up their feathers and make a distinctive gobbling sound to attract females.

Domestic turkeys, bred over centuries to be larger and heavier, are raised on farms for food. The tradition of eating turkey at Thanksgiving dates back to early American colonial celebrations, and now millions of families serve roasted turkey every November.

The word turkey also appears in some colorful expressions. When someone says “talk turkey,” they mean getting down to serious business and speaking plainly. If something fails completely, people might call it a turkey, like a movie that flops at the box office. In bowling, getting three strikes in a row is called a turkey, though no one is quite sure why.