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denned; denning
: to drive into a den
Denmark
Example Sentences
Noun
The bears will spend most of the winter in their den.
The TV is in the den.
He spent most evenings in the den reading and smoking his pipe.
Recent Examples on the Web
Zoe Sottile, CNN, 10 Dec. 2022
Scherff suggests putting it in an open closet to create a makeshift den.
—Hannah Holland, Washington Post, 7 Dec. 2022
Some victims were subjected to a fiery furnace, a lions’ den, an executioner’s blade, a Roman cross.
—WSJ, 7 Dec. 2022
The sleeping area is too small to be a legal bedroom — in fact, a twin bed barely squeezes in now — though the space could be converted to a den or home office.
—C. J. Hughes, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2022
The district notes coyotes can get more protective during late winter mating and spring pupping seasons, especially when humans come near pups or a den.
—Bill Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Nov. 2022
Other rooms include the den and bar—dubbed Le Bar Bleu for its moody blue hues—as well as an incredible terrace with boxwood hedges and a birch tree.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2022
And the location is superb: in the heart of Berlin Mitte, minutes from the grand avenue Unter den Linden and the famous Brandenburg Gate.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 11 Nov. 2022
Bear-lin, or Bear’s den, or Burr-lin, and the bear at the door.
—Sasha Frere-jones, Harper’s Magazine , 9 Nov. 2022
Erin Berger, Outside Online, 2 Oct. 2018
Urban animals den in parks and in seldom frequented areas between houses.
—John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Mar. 2022
The birds live and den in the cactus, using holes created by woodpeckers and other animals.
—Lindsey Botts, The Arizona Republic, 20 Feb. 2022
Agency officials said some areas of the Rocky Mountains will retain enough snow in a warming world for wolverines to successfully den and breed.
—Matthew Brown, ajc, 1 Nov. 2021
In an unusual move, U.S. Geological Survey Director James Reilly has refused to make public the study by his own scientists of the number of female polar bears that den and give birth on land near the southern Beaufort Sea.
—Juliet Eilperin, Desmond Butler, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Sep. 2020
These lobsters did not choose to den alone, the scientists suspected: they were being shunned.
—Scientific American, 1 July 2020
Dave Crowley, a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game who oversees the region, says this area is prime bear-denning territory.
—Acacia Johnson, National Geographic, 14 Jan. 2020
Typically, black bears enter their dens in October, with most brown bears denning by November, Battle said.
—Tegan Hanlon, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Nov. 2019
See More
Noun
In the meantime, the zoo is livestreaming video from the happy family’s den from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN, 10 Dec. 2022
Scherff suggests putting it in an open closet to create a makeshift den.
—Hannah Holland, Washington Post, 7 Dec. 2022
Some victims were subjected to a fiery furnace, a lions’ den, an executioner’s blade, a Roman cross.
—WSJ, 7 Dec. 2022
The sleeping area is too small to be a legal bedroom — in fact, a twin bed barely squeezes in now — though the space could be converted to a den or home office.
—C. J. Hughes, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2022
The district notes coyotes can get more protective during late winter mating and spring pupping seasons, especially when humans come near pups or a den.
—Bill Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Nov. 2022
Other rooms include the den and bar—dubbed Le Bar Bleu for its moody blue hues—as well as an incredible terrace with boxwood hedges and a birch tree.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2022
And the location is superb: in the heart of Berlin Mitte, minutes from the grand avenue Unter den Linden and the famous Brandenburg Gate.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 11 Nov. 2022
Bear-lin, or Bear’s den, or Burr-lin, and the bear at the door.
—Sasha Frere-jones, Harper’s Magazine , 9 Nov. 2022
Verb
Starting in October and November, around when temps drop to freezing at night, the bears den up for about six months.
—Erin Berger, Outside Online, 2 Oct. 2018
Urban animals den in parks and in seldom frequented areas between houses.
—John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Mar. 2022
The birds live and den in the cactus, using holes created by woodpeckers and other animals.
—Lindsey Botts, The Arizona Republic, 20 Feb. 2022
Agency officials said some areas of the Rocky Mountains will retain enough snow in a warming world for wolverines to successfully den and breed.
—Matthew Brown, ajc, 1 Nov. 2021
In an unusual move, U.S. Geological Survey Director James Reilly has refused to make public the study by his own scientists of the number of female polar bears that den and give birth on land near the southern Beaufort Sea.
—Juliet Eilperin, Desmond Butler, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Sep. 2020
These lobsters did not choose to den alone, the scientists suspected: they were being shunned.
—Scientific American, 1 July 2020
Dave Crowley, a biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game who oversees the region, says this area is prime bear-denning territory.
—Acacia Johnson, National Geographic, 14 Jan. 2020
Typically, black bears enter their dens in October, with most brown bears denning by November, Battle said.
—Tegan Hanlon, Anchorage Daily News, 13 Nov. 2019
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'den.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English denn; akin to Old English denu valley, Old High German tenni threshing floor
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Time Traveler
The first known use of den was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing den
Dictionary Entries Near den
Cite this Entry
“Den.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/den. Accessed 26 Dec. 2022.
Kids Definition
Legal Definition
den
abbreviation
denied
More from Merriam-Webster on den
Nglish: Translation of den for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of den for Arabic Speakers
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