Illustration of hogan
: a Navajo 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
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That’s what the hogan [traditional Navajo home] represents, is the round of the stomach, the roundness of Mother Earth.
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Lisa De Los Reyes, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2026
This is a hogan, a traditional Diné wooden dwelling that has a hole in the side.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Feb. 2026
The Shash Diné hogans were constructed from juniper logs by a master craftsman, then covered with mud or clay.
—Rona Berg, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Her hogan, completed in 2020, is built out of juniper wood, bark, and sand.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2025
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Lisa De Los Reyes, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2026
This is a hogan, a traditional Diné wooden dwelling that has a hole in the side.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Feb. 2026
The Shash Diné hogans were constructed from juniper logs by a master craftsman, then covered with mud or clay.
—Rona Berg, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Her hogan, completed in 2020, is built out of juniper wood, bark, and sand.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hogan
Cite this Entry
“Hogan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hogan. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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hogan
noun
ho·gan
ˈhō-ˌgän 
: a Navajo dwelling usually made of logs and mud with a door traditionally facing east
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