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
Befriended by the aged proprietor of a now defunct Greek coast restaurant, the hen becomes an unwitting witness of human misery – greed, migrant trafficking, revenge upon revenge.
—
John Hopewell, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
And once a routine is established, most hens will lay about one egg per day.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
The spiky rosettes of hens and chicks are a great example.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 25 Aug. 2025
Others pair starters like yellowtail jalapeño or crispy Brussels sprouts with mains such as miso black cod or Cornish hen yakitori.
—Keyla Vasconcellos, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hen
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John Hopewell, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025
And once a routine is established, most hens will lay about one egg per day.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Aug. 2025
The spiky rosettes of hens and chicks are a great example.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 25 Aug. 2025
Others pair starters like yellowtail jalapeño or crispy Brussels sprouts with mains such as miso black cod or Cornish hen yakitori.
—Keyla Vasconcellos, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hen
Cite this Entry
“Hen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hen. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hen
noun1
: a female chicken especially over a year old
2
: a female of any bird
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