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
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
Botanical knowledge was passed on in verse, which is easier to remember, so a gardener knew to place raspberries next to roses, that September was the best time to transplant gooseberries and currants, and that sowing edible weeds like fat hen and thistle between the crops serves as a living mulch.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Sedum, aloe vera, cactus varieties, echeveria, and hens and chicks are popular types of succulents with a range of different shapes, textures, colors, and sizes.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hen
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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
Botanical knowledge was passed on in verse, which is easier to remember, so a gardener knew to place raspberries next to roses, that September was the best time to transplant gooseberries and currants, and that sowing edible weeds like fat hen and thistle between the crops serves as a living mulch.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Sedum, aloe vera, cactus varieties, echeveria, and hens and chicks are popular types of succulents with a range of different shapes, textures, colors, and sizes.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 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 26 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hen
noun1
: a female chicken especially over a year old
2
: a female of any bird
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