The word 火鸡 (huǒjī, meaning "turkey") is formed through direct descriptive compounding: the character 火 (huǒ) means "fire", likely referring to the bird's red, fleshy head and wattles which can resemble the color and shape of flames, and 鸡 (jī) means "chicken", identifying it as a type of fowl. The name thus paints a simple, visual picture, a "fire chicken", capturing its most striking physical characteristic relative to a familiar barnyard bird.