hen

noun \ ˈhen \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

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

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Recent Examples of hen from the Web

The size of a hen's eggs, the small fruits start out white but then ripen into pretty pastel shades including cream, orange, yellow, and green (now that's a new kind of natural egg dye!).

— taysha murtaugh, Country Living, "This Plant Will Help You Play the Ultimate April Fool's Day Prank This Easter," 29 Mar. 2018
Free-range hens are required to have the same conditions as cage-free but must also have continuous access to the outdoors.

— becky krystal, sacbee, "Let’s lay down some egg-selecting tips | The Sacramento Bee," 20 Mar. 2018
Free-range hens are required to have the same conditions as cage-free but must also have continuous access to the outdoors.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Guide to grocery store eggs: What to look for when shopping," 17 Mar. 2018
Hunters try to reverse nature by imitating hen calls to get lovesick gobblers to come to them.

— steve waters, miamiherald, "‘The most challenging hunt that anyone could ever experience.’ It starts Saturday. | Miami Herald," 2 Mar. 2018
Wiseman did some internet research of his own and found that there are about 40 million chickens in Ohio, with 30 million of these hens kept for laying eggs.

— jeff piorkowski/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "University Heights discusses pros and cons of allowing backyard chicken coops; vote not taken," 4 June 2017
After five minutes of to-and-fro, the 30-inch hen came to hand.

— paul a. smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: Centerpin gear is gaining fans for tributary fishing," 24 Mar. 2018
As of the ride’s reopening on March 19, however, the whole scene has been redesigned as a chicken auction, with the auctioneer boasting about the egg-laying capabilities of his hens, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

— michael bartiromo, Fox News, "Disney World's 'Pirates of the Caribbean' attraction reopens without 'Bride Auction' scene," 20 Mar. 2018
Also in the hunter's favor as the season progresses is the fact that many hens, already bred, go to nest.

— frank sargeant, AL.com, "Still lots of time to harvest a gobbler," 18 Mar. 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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HEN Defined for English Language Learners

hen

noun

Definition of hen for English Language Learners

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

HEN Defined for Kids

hen

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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hen

Definition of hen

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HEN Defined for English Language Learners

hen

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