queen

queen
noun [Old English cwēn — woman, wife, or female ruler]

1. (Rare/Regional/Colloquial) A term occasionally used to describe a dominant or particularly productive female chicken in a flock, often humorously or affectionately.
     e.g., That old hen’s the queen of the coop—nobody crosses her.

2. (Zoology) A reproductive female in certain animal groups, such as bees or ants. While chickens do not have a “queen” in the biological sense, the term is sometimes metaphorically applied to assert dominance, hierarchy, or uniqueness within the flock.

3. (Figurative/Cultural) In the context of chickens, the term queen may be used symbolically to project human notions of royalty, femininity, or status onto a barnyard setting—imbuing the animal with layered cultural meaning.