Illustration of hogan
: a Navajo Indian dwelling usually made of logs and mud with a door traditionally facing east
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The traditional dwelling of the Navajo Indians of Arizona and New Mexico is called a hogan. The hogan is roughly circular and constructed usually of logs, which are stepped in gradually to create a domed roof. The whole structure is then covered with mud and sod, except for a circular opening in the roof that allows smoke to escape. The entrance generally faces the rising sun.
Examples of hogan in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The first design was a celebration of multiple architectural styles, from the Navajo’s hogans to the Great Plains tribes’ tipis.
—
Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 June 2023
My hogan has electricity but no running water.
—Sunny Dooley, Scientific American, 8 July 2020
At the end of this road in Clark Village, the iconic Bears Ears buttes on the horizon, a family of 18, who recently had their home burned down, lives in a single space — a hogan, a single-roomed building that’s the cultural home for the Diné people.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 Apr. 2022
Descheenie, who is from Chinle, said his mother was born in a hogan, traditional Diné home, and because of this she was never given a birth certificate.
—Arlyssa D. Becenti, The Arizona Republic, 24 Nov. 2022
Born in a hogan, Laughter had no birth certificate, didn't drive, had no electric or water service at her home in the Navajo Nation and paid no property taxes.
—Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2022
The family’s farm plot and hogan are now several hundred feet under Lake Powell, along with tens of thousands of cultural sites and burials.
—Zak Podmore, The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 Oct. 2022
According to the Library of Congress, Begay was born in a traditional Navajo hogan in a remote area near Two Wells, New Mexico, in 1927.
—Haleigh Kochanski, The Arizona Republic, 15 Aug. 2022
All styles and sizes, from a cozy one bedroom to a large hogan-style cabin that can sleep 16 people, are hidden away on 13 secluded acres.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 24 May 2022
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Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 June 2023
My hogan has electricity but no running water.
—Sunny Dooley, Scientific American, 8 July 2020
At the end of this road in Clark Village, the iconic Bears Ears buttes on the horizon, a family of 18, who recently had their home burned down, lives in a single space — a hogan, a single-roomed building that’s the cultural home for the Diné people.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 Apr. 2022
Descheenie, who is from Chinle, said his mother was born in a hogan, traditional Diné home, and because of this she was never given a birth certificate.
—Arlyssa D. Becenti, The Arizona Republic, 24 Nov. 2022
Born in a hogan, Laughter had no birth certificate, didn't drive, had no electric or water service at her home in the Navajo Nation and paid no property taxes.
—Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2022
The family’s farm plot and hogan are now several hundred feet under Lake Powell, along with tens of thousands of cultural sites and burials.
—Zak Podmore, The Salt Lake Tribune, 24 Oct. 2022
According to the Library of Congress, Begay was born in a traditional Navajo hogan in a remote area near Two Wells, New Mexico, in 1927.
—Haleigh Kochanski, The Arizona Republic, 15 Aug. 2022
All styles and sizes, from a cozy one bedroom to a large hogan-style cabin that can sleep 16 people, are hidden away on 13 secluded acres.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 24 May 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hogan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Navajo hooghan
First Known Use
1871, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near hogan
Cite this Entry
“Hogan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hogan. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
hogan
noun
ho·gan
ˈhō-ˌgän 
: a Navajo Indian dwelling usually made of logs and mud with a door traditionally facing east
More from Merriam-Webster on hogan
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