Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

1

kennel

play
noun ken·nel \ˈke-nəl\

Definition of kennel

  1. 1a :  a shelter for a dog or catb :  an establishment for the breeding or boarding of dogs or cats

  2. 2 :  a pack of dogs

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

alt-59760690a61d7
Trending: Trump Tweets, We Define: 'Beleaguered'
video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066
image1358596246
Words About Word Play
alt-596f95fe451e7
'Drought' & 'Drouth' Take Us Back In Time

Origin and Etymology of kennel

Middle English kenel, from Anglo-French *kenil, from Vulgar Latin *canile, from Latin canis dog — more at hound

2

kennel

verb ken·nel

Definition of kennel

kenneled

or

kennelled

;

kenneling

or

kennelling
  1. transitive verb

  2. :  to put or keep in or as if in a kennel

  3. intransitive verb

  4. :  to take shelter in or as if in a kennel

First Known Use of kennel

1552

3

kennel

noun ken·nel

Definition of kennel

  1. :  a gutter in a street

Origin and Etymology of kennel

alteration of cannel gutter

KENNEL Defined for Kids

kennel

play
noun ken·nel \ˈke-nəl\

Definition of kennel for Students

  1. 1 :  a shelter for a dog

  2. 2 :  a place where dogs or cats are bred or housed

Learn More about kennel

  1. See words that rhyme with kennel Spanish Central: Translation of kennel Nglish: Translation of kennel for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up kennel? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

wreak

play

to bring about or cause (something)

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. beleaguer 'Being subjected to constant or repeated trouble or harassment'

  2. scaramouch A new White House communications director

  3. non sequitur “It does not follow”

  4. admiral's mast A massive search ends with an 'admiral's mast'.

  5. calumny 'An untrue statement that is made to damage someone's reputation'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

kennel

Test Your Vocabulary

The Emoji Quiz

  • emoji-the-quiz
  • What phase of the moon is this: 🌖 ?
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

image1358596246
Words About Word Play

Don't just eat your words—play with them!

alt-596f95fe451e7
'Drought' & 'Drouth' Take Us Back In Time

A variant spelling with a long history

alt-59721dd897313
The 'Best' Way to Sign Off On An E-mail

Give them your best

image386126722
Words and Phrases That Come from the Dinner Table

Fill your plate with these surprising food words

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

emoji-the-quiz
The Emoji Quiz

Think you’re an emoji 👓 expert? Let’s see 🤔

Take the quiz
image941935269
A Game of Thrones Word Quiz

In the Game of Thrones quiz, you learn some new vocabulary. (It’s quite safe, really. You will not die.)

Take the quiz
Name That Thing
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game