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
Jessica isn't able to nail the cranberry sauce recipe, Louis' ready-to-cook Cornish hens arrive alive and, to top it off, the turkey is still frozen.
—
Shay Spence, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Wild hens don’t have someone taking care of them, providing a clean, warm roost, nutritious food and health care.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025
Arizona's largest egg producer, Hickman’s Family Farms, was sold after a bird flu outbreak killed 95% of its hens.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 20 Nov. 2025
With a purchase of $50, shoppers can add a turkey, ham or Cornish hen for $12.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hen
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Shay Spence, PEOPLE, 26 Nov. 2025
Wild hens don’t have someone taking care of them, providing a clean, warm roost, nutritious food and health care.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025
Arizona's largest egg producer, Hickman’s Family Farms, was sold after a bird flu outbreak killed 95% of its hens.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 20 Nov. 2025
With a purchase of $50, shoppers can add a turkey, ham or Cornish hen for $12.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 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 5 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hen
noun1
: a female chicken especially over a year old
2
: a female of any bird
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share