[tur-kee] 
) -key. | 1. | a large, gallinaceous bird of the family Meleagrididae, esp. Meleagris gallopavo, of America, that typically has green, reddish-brown, and yellowish-brown plumage of a metallic luster and that is domesticated in most parts of the world. |
| 2. | the flesh of this bird, used as food. |
| 3. | ocellated turkey. |
| 4. | Slang.
|
| 5. | Bowling. three strikes in succession. |
| 6. | talk turkey, Informal. to talk frankly; mean business. |
[tur-kee] | a republic in W Asia and SE Europe. 63,528,225; 296,184 sq. mi. (767,120 sq. km). (286,928 sq. mi. (743,145 sq. km) in Asia; 9257 sq. mi. (23,975 sq. km) in Europe). Capital: Ankara. |
| tur·key (tûr'kē) n. pl. tur·keys
[After Turkey from a confusion with the guinea fowl, once believed to have originated in Turkish territory.] |
Tur·key (tûr'kē)  (click for larger image in new window) A country of southwest Asia and southeast Europe between the Mediterranean and the Black seas. The region was dominated by many ancient civilizations and peoples, among them the Hittites (1800 B.C.), the Greeks (8th century B.C.), and the Persians (6th century B.C.), and in A.D. 395 it became part of the Byzantine Empire. The area was conquered by the Ottoman Turks between the 13th and 15th centuries and remained the core of the Ottoman Empire for more than 600 years. Its modern history dates to the rise of the Young Turks (after 1908) and the collapse of the empire in 1918. Under the leadership of Kemal Atatürk, a republic was proclaimed in 1923. Ankara is the capital and Istanbul the largest city. Population: 71,200,000. |
Turkey
Slang for an investment that yields disappointing results or generally turns out worse than expected. Failed business deals, securities that realize significant losses, and unsuccessful IPOs could all be called "turkeys".
Investopedia Commentary
For an individual investor, a turkey could be a speculative equity investment in a startup technology company that subsequently goes bankrupt. For a corporation, a turkey could be the purchase of a smaller company that ends up producing much less revenue than anticipated, making it an investment that essentially gobbles up the company's profits.
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See also: Barefoot Pilgrim, Bloodletting, Capital Loss, Initial Public Offering - IPO, Puke, Torpedo Stock
turkey