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
The same goes for ground covers like hens and chicks or trailing plants like burro's tail.
—
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026
How many hens are really there?
—Ted Scouten, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
Northwood’s culinary students were always churning out great food — lasagna, chicken cordon bleu, and Cornish hens served in warm nests of baked bread — and no one wanted to miss the meals.
—Keith O'Brien, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2026
Children enjoy visiting the farm's resident animals, which include sheep, goats, alpacas, pigs, and hens.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hen
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Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026
How many hens are really there?
—Ted Scouten, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
Northwood’s culinary students were always churning out great food — lasagna, chicken cordon bleu, and Cornish hens served in warm nests of baked bread — and no one wanted to miss the meals.
—Keith O'Brien, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2026
Children enjoy visiting the farm's resident animals, which include sheep, goats, alpacas, pigs, and hens.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hen
Cite this Entry
“Hen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hen. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hen
noun1
: a female chicken especially over a year old
2
: a female of any bird
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