noun
1.
the female of the domestic fowl.
2.
the female of any bird, especially of a gallinaceous bird.
3.
Informal: Often Disparaging and Offensive. a woman, especially a busybody or gossip.
Origin:
before 1000; Middle English; Old English hen(n) (compare Old English hana cock); cognate with German Henne; akin to Latin canere to sing
before 1000; Middle English; Old English hen(n) (compare Old English hana cock); cognate with German Henne; akin to Latin canere to sing
Related forms
hen·like, adjective
hen·nish, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To hen
00:10
hen
is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
hen (hɛn) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | the female of any bird, esp the adult female of the domestic fowl |
| 2. | the female of certain other animals, such as the lobster |
| 3. | informal a woman regarded as gossipy or foolish |
| 4. | dialect (Scot) a term of address (often affectionate), used to women and girls |
| 5. | scarce as hen's teeth extremely rare |
| [Old English henn; related to Old High German henna, Old Frisian henne] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
hen
O.E. hen, from W.Gmc. *khannjo (cf. M.Du. henne, O.H.G. henna), fem. of *khan(e)ni "male fowl, cock" (cf. O.E. hana "cock"), lit. "bird who sings for sunrise," from PIE base *kan- "to sing" (see chant). The original masc. word survives in Ger. (Hahn "cock"), Swed., Dan., etc.;
extension to "female of any bird species" is early 14c. in English. Hen as slang for "woman" dates from 1620s; hence hen party "gathering of women," first recorded 1887. Henpecked is from 1680.
"The henpect Man rides behind his Wife, and lets her wear the Spurs and govern the Reins." [Samuel Butler]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Easton
Bible Dictionary
Hen definition
common in later times among the Jews in Palestine (Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34). It is noticeable that this familiar bird is only mentioned in these passages in connection with our Lord's lamentation over the impenitence of Jerusalem.
Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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American Heritage
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences from the web
Originally, the hen presumably laid one clutch, became broody, and incubated the eggs.
A woman brings a hen for the ceremony, while a man brings a rooster.
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