kennel

1 of 3

noun (1)

ken·​nel ˈke-nᵊl 

1

a

: a shelter for a dog or cat

b

: an establishment for the breeding or boarding of dogs or cats

2

: a pack of dogs

kennel

2 of 3

verb

kenneled or kennelled; kenneling or kennelling

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to take shelter in or as if in a kennel

kennel

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a gutter in a street

Examples of kennel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

After the murders, speculation swirled that someone else came to the property and killed Maggie and Paul at the kennels. —Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026

Both were found shot near the dog kennels on the family’s 1,700‑acre Moselle property. —Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2026

Verb

In the shelter, he was kenneled with a dog who had deadly parvovirus. —Maryanne Dell, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026

Crates can be especially useful, as some shelters may have specific rules in place about having pets kenneled at certain hours. —Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 15 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

Noun (2)

alteration of cannel gutter

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1552, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kennel

• chenille
• fennel
• henle
• antennal
• departmental

Kids Definition

kennel

1 of 2 noun

ken·​nel ˈken-ᵊl 

1

: a shelter for a dog

2

: a place where dogs or cats are bred or housed

kennel

2 of 2 verb

kenneled or kennelled; kenneling or kennelling

: to put or keep in a kennel