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hen

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hen

[hen]
–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


henlike, adjective
hennish, adjective
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.

Hen

Hen\, n. [AS. henn, hen, h[ae]n; akin to D. hen, OHG. henna, G. henne, Icel. h?na, Dan. h["o]na; the fem. corresponding to AS. hana cock, D. haan, OHG. hano, G. hahn, Icel. hani, Dan. & Sw. hane. Prob. akin to L. canere to sing, and orig. meaning, a singer. Cf. Chanticleer.] (Zo["o]l.) The female of the domestic fowl; also, the female of grouse, pheasants, or any kind of birds; as, the heath hen; the gray hen.

Note: Used adjectively or in combination to indicate the female; as, hen canary, hen eagle, hen turkey, peahen.

Hen clam. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A clam of the Mactra, and allied genera; the sea clam or surf clam. See Surf clam. (b) A California clam of the genus Pachydesma.

Hen driver. See Hen harrier (below).

Hen harrier (Zo["o]l.), a hawk (Circus cyaneus), found in Europe and America; -- called also dove hawk, henharm, henharrow, hen driver, and usually, in America, marsh hawk. See Marsh hawk.

Hen hawk (Zo["o]l.), one of several species of large hawks which capture hens; esp., the American red-tailed hawk (Buteo borealis), the red-shouldered hawk (B. lineatus), and the goshawk.
Language Translation for : hen
Spanish: gallina,
German: die Henne,
Japanese: めんどり

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]

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.

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