hen

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noun \ ˈhen \

Definition of hen

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

See hen defined for English-language learners

See hen defined for kids

Recent Examples of hen from the Web

One of the main governing principles for the administration is the idea that the best guards for hen houses are still-bloody foxes.

— luke darby, GQ, "Betsy DeVos' Newest Hire Was a Dean of DeVry, Everyone's Favorite Sham University," 30 Aug. 2017
Dozens of Dutch farms visited by the company suspected of using Fipronil have been temporarily banned from selling their eggs until the hens and their stalls are declared cleared of the pesticide.

— mike corder, The Seattle Times, "Dutch arrest 2 suspects in investigation into tainted eggs," 10 Aug. 2017
The DNR has advocated continued efforts to control mallard harvest (one hen daily bag limit, for example) and support for grassland nesting habitat conservation are important to the future of Wisconsin's local mallard population.

— paul a. smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Breeding duck population up 23% in Wisconsin," 1 July 2017
A spruce hen aggressively defended her chicks from competitors.

— Alaska Dispatch News, "Spruce hen not enough to slow Smith, Jolliff down for orienteering victories," 30 June 2017
While some farms have scaled back in recent months, hens have gotten more productive, keeping the market flush with supply.

— sydney maki, Bloomberg.com, "Bring on the Omelets: Bigger Flocks Send Egg Price to Decade-Low," 28 June 2017
How Zach Woods, an expert improviser with a mother-hen instinct and a knack for backstory, created the most consistently surprising character on the HBO comedy.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "Silicon Valley’s Jared Dunn: The Sweetest, Darkest, and Funniest Character on TV," 22 June 2017
This Southbound Gardens workshop covers coops and runs, egg production, buying adult birds, egg-eaters and broody hens.

— NOLA.com, "6 gardening events not to miss: Night nature hike, botanical garden plant sale, veggie workshop," 12 June 2017
After the chicks hatch, they are shipped from Burley to commercial egg operations to be raised as laying hens.

— mychel matthews, idahostatesman, "As urban agriculture gains followers in Idaho and beyond, some cities loosen codes," 11 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of hen

Middle English, from Old English henn; akin to Old English hana rooster — more at chant

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

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HEN Defined for English Language Learners

hen

play

noun

Definition of hen for English Language Learners

: an adult female chicken
: a female bird of any kind

HEN Defined for Kids

hen

play

noun \ ˈhen \

Definition of hen for Students

1 :a female domestic fowl

2 :a female bird

Learn More about hen

See words that rhyme with hen Spanish Central: Translation of hen Nglish: Translation of hen for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of hen for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hen

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Definition of hen

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