1
a
: a female chicken especially over a year old
broadly
: a female bird
b
: the female of various mostly aquatic animals (such as lobsters or fish)
2
: woman
especially
: a fussy middle-aged woman
Examples of hen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With roots in England, these pies were baked on farms where hens laid eggs daily.
—
Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 9 Dec. 2025
In the mornings, roosters and hens roam the sidewalks of Little Havana as the elderly men who play dominoes in the plaza settle in for their game.
—Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 9 Dec. 2025
Combs ate turkey, vegetables and deli meat for Thanksgiving, while he's expected to have baked Cornish hen for Christmas.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
Wild hens don’t have someone taking care of them, providing a clean, warm roost, nutritious food and health care.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hen
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 9 Dec. 2025
In the mornings, roosters and hens roam the sidewalks of Little Havana as the elderly men who play dominoes in the plaza settle in for their game.
—Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 9 Dec. 2025
Combs ate turkey, vegetables and deli meat for Thanksgiving, while he's expected to have baked Cornish hen for Christmas.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 4 Dec. 2025
Wild hens don’t have someone taking care of them, providing a clean, warm roost, nutritious food and health care.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hen
Cite this Entry
“Hen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hen. Accessed 16 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hen
noun1
: a female chicken especially over a year old
2
: a female of any bird
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share