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hen

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hen

  [hen]
Use hen in a Sentence
–noun
1. the female of the domestic fowl.
2. the female of any bird, esp. of a gallinaceous bird.
3. Informal: Often Disparaging and Offensive. a woman, esp. a busybody or gossip.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME; OE hen(n) (cf. OE hana cock); c. G Henne; akin to L canere to sing

Related forms:
henlike, adjective
hennish, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Hens
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hen   (hěn)   
n.  

  1. A female bird, especially the adult female of the domestic fowl.

  2. The female of certain aquatic animals, such as an octopus or lobster.

  3. Slang A woman, especially a fussy or nosy old woman.


[Middle English, from Old English; see kan- in Indo-European roots.]
hen'nish adj., hen'nish·ly adv., hen'nish·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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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 c.1325 in Eng. Hen as slang for "woman" dates from 1626; 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, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Bible Dictionary

Hen

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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Idioms & Phrases

hen

see mad as a hornet (wet hen); scarce as hen's teeth.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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