mother hen

noun

: a person who assumes an overly protective maternal attitude

Examples of mother hen in a Sentence

a football coach who fusses over his players like a mother hen

Recent Examples on the Web

Amy was the mother hen to everyone in her life. — Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 1 June 2026

In one of the better videos on the internet this week, a hungry hawk gets in a fight with a defensive mother hen. — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 28 Feb. 2024

Almost like a mother hen guiding the babies, just kind of teaching them things, pushing them to be better. — Alex Andrejev, New York Times, 28 May 2026

Darwin vividly recalls the day 21 years ago when one of the chicken eggs that was supposed to hatch looked rotten, and had been abandoned by its mother hen. — Cathy Free, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2023

The show's daffy, big-hearted mother hen revealed to TV Insider that fans can expect a torrent of emotions this season. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 8 June 2026

As Gemma placed the eggs in sawdust near the hen's perch, the soon-to-be mother hen rushed over, and attempted to sit on them even before Gemma was finished putting them all in. — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025

Perhaps no one is fonder of the Eola swans than City Commissioner Patty Sheehan, who has become something of a mother hen to the famous fowl. — Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel, 24 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mother hen

• businessmen
• councilmen
• henequen
• julienne
• madeleine
• middlemen
• minutemen
• motormen
• patrolmen
• repairmen
• saracen
• signalmen