[Vocabulary] Do chickens browse?

[Marina Gaidar]

In Russian it is possible to say "chickens browse" meaning they look for some insects and seeds to eat. Is it the same in English? In dictionaries I find the verb "to browse" only related to animals, but not birds.

 

[Raymott]

In Russian it is possible to say "chickens browse" meaning they look for some insects and seeds to eat. Is it the same in English? In dictionaries I find the verb "to browse" only related to animals, but not birds.

It's not colloquial in English to say that chickens browse. But it sounds reasonable to me that they do. If I wrote it, I'd say, "The chickens were browsing for seeds" to make it clear.
By the way, animals "graze".

 

[bhaisahab]

Browsing animals eat from trees and hedgerows, grazing animals eat herbaceous plants at ground level.

 

[Raymott]

Browsing animals eat from trees and hedgerows, grazing animals eat herbaceous plants at ground level.

Hmm, then does that imply that chickens don't browse?

 

[bhaisahab]

Hmm, then does that imply that chickens don't browse?

Yes, that's right, chickens don't browse.

 

[Marina Gaidar]

Yes, that's right, chickens don't browse.

Do they do anything which may be used without object?:roll:

 

[Marina Gaidar]

Can I say then something like "chickens pick some seeds"?

 

[Rover_KE]

Chickens peck.

 

[SoothingDave]

Do they prefer Firefox to Internet Explorer?

 

[tzfujimino]

Chicken Sandwich browses.:-D
(I'm sorry if I've made the discussion confusing.)

 

[bhaisahab]

Do they prefer Firefox to Internet Explorer?

They are pretty stupid, so they probably use Internet Explorer.

 

[birdeen's call]

They are pretty stupid, so they probably use Internet Explorer.

So they use Internet Explorer and they don't browse? They are stupid!

 

[billmcd]

In Russian it is possible to say "chickens browse" meaning they look for some insects and seeds to eat. Is it the same in English? In dictionaries I find the verb "to browse" only related to animals, but not birds.

There once was a chicken named Bowser
Whose friends called Bowser the Pecker
But try as he may they never would say,
“Let’s call him Bowser the Browser” :roll:

(You all must understand that it is extremely hot here in the eastern U.S.)
And I think we all owe an apology to Marina.