hen

[ hen ]

/ hɛn /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR hen ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a female chicken: Our hens only recently started laying, but these fresh eggs were worth the wait!

the female of any bird, especially a gallinaceous bird: The mallard drakes are splendidly colorful while the hens are camouflaged in drab plumage.

the female of certain marine creatures, including lobsters and salmon: I prefer a hen when making lobster bisque, as the dark red roe enhances both flavor and color.

Informal: Sometimes Offensive. a usually middle-aged or older woman, especially one who is considered to be petty or gossipy: Let’s get out of here and leave the hens to their blather.

Informal. a female in attendance at a hen party: The incident at the restaurant occurred hours after our party was over and we’d all gone home, but all of us hens were brought in for questioning the next morning.

British and Australian Informal. the bride-to-be at a bachelorette party: A toast to Vera, the beautiful hen, who’s flying our coop in less than a fortnight!

Scots Informal. an affectionate or familiar term of address to a girl or woman: That’s lovely, hen, thank you.

Origin of hen

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English hen(n) (compare Old English hana “cock”); cognate with German Henne; akin to Latin canere “to sing”; see also chant, charm¹

OTHER WORDS FROM hen

hen·like, adjectivehen·nish, adjective

Words nearby hen

hempseed, Hempstead, hemp tree, hempy, hemstitch, hen, Henan, hen-and-chickens, henbane, henbit, hence

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for hen

He even claims that hen partridges conceive just by smelling the scent of males.
Why Aristotle Deserves A Posthumous Nobel|Nick Romeo|October 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He eventually brings his wife and children over, and later he manages a hen and rabbit farm.
Nothing Was Banal About Eichmann’s Evil, Says a Scathing New Biography|Michael Signer|October 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Astrid was one of a handful of guests at the Duchess of Cambridge's hen night party last year.
Harry's ex-Girlfriend's Father Commits Suicide|Tom Sykes|May 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
She installed it in the hen house so that the chickens would eat more, be healthy, lay more eggs, and be more profitable.
Women | Tools | Technology: Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves|Daily Beast Promotions|March 11, 2011|DAILY BEAST

This darling chocolate-making kitchen is perfect for hen parties or corporate escapes.
Gal With a Suitcase|Jolie Hunt|February 26, 2011|DAILY BEAST
It is needless to say that the peanut party is strictly a "hen" function.
Cupology|Clara
Robert was in the habit of saying: "My hen pecks, but she gives me plenty of chickens."
Women of Medival France|Pierce Butler
He had got about half-way, when a hen rose a few feet from him, at his right.
The Young Surveyor;|J. T. Trowbridge
They have no more sympathy for them than a hound has for a hare, or a hawk for a hen, or a tiger for a calf.
New Tabernacle Sermons|Thomas De Witt Talmage
The Spanish name is gallina del campo, literally, hen of the field.
The Shirley Letters from California Mines in 1851-52|Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe

British Dictionary definitions for hen

hen

/ (hɛn) /

noun

the female of any bird, esp the adult female of the domestic fowl

the female of certain other animals, such as the lobster

informal a woman regarded as gossipy or foolish

Scot dialect a term of address (often affectionate), used to women and girls

scarce as hen's teeth extremely rare

Word Origin for hen

Old English henn; related to Old High German henna, Old Frisian henne

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with hen

hen

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

单词	hen
释义	hen [ hen ] / hɛn / SEE SYNONYMS FOR hen ON THESAURUS.COM noun a female chicken: Our hens only recently started laying, but these fresh eggs were worth the wait! the female of any bird, especially a gallinaceous bird: The mallard drakes are splendidly colorful while the hens are camouflaged in drab plumage. the female of certain marine creatures, including lobsters and salmon: I prefer a hen when making lobster bisque, as the dark red roe enhances both flavor and color. Informal: Sometimes Offensive. a usually middle-aged or older woman, especially one who is considered to be petty or gossipy: Let’s get out of here and leave the hens to their blather. Informal. a female in attendance at a hen party: The incident at the restaurant occurred hours after our party was over and we’d all gone home, but all of us hens were brought in for questioning the next morning. British and Australian Informal. the bride-to-be at a bachelorette party: A toast to Vera, the beautiful hen, who’s flying our coop in less than a fortnight! Scots Informal. an affectionate or familiar term of address to a girl or woman: That’s lovely, hen, thank you. Origin of hen First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English hen(n) (compare Old English hana “cock”); cognate with German Henne; akin to Latin canere “to sing”; see also chant, charm¹ OTHER WORDS FROM hen hen·like, adjectivehen·nish, adjective Words nearby hen hempseed, Hempstead, hemp tree, hempy, hemstitch, hen, Henan, hen-and-chickens, henbane, henbit, hence Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020 Example sentences from the Web for hen He even claims that hen partridges conceive just by smelling the scent of males. Why Aristotle Deserves A Posthumous Nobel\|Nick Romeo\|October 18, 2014\|DAILY BEAST He eventually brings his wife and children over, and later he manages a hen and rabbit farm. Nothing Was Banal About Eichmann’s Evil, Says a Scathing New Biography\|Michael Signer\|October 11, 2014\|DAILY BEAST Astrid was one of a handful of guests at the Duchess of Cambridge's hen night party last year. Harry's ex-Girlfriend's Father Commits Suicide\|Tom Sykes\|May 28, 2012\|DAILY BEAST She installed it in the hen house so that the chickens would eat more, be healthy, lay more eggs, and be more profitable. Women \| Tools \| Technology: Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves\|Daily Beast Promotions\|March 11, 2011\|DAILY BEAST This darling chocolate-making kitchen is perfect for hen parties or corporate escapes. Gal With a Suitcase\|Jolie Hunt\|February 26, 2011\|DAILY BEAST It is needless to say that the peanut party is strictly a "hen" function. Cupology\|Clara Robert was in the habit of saying: "My hen pecks, but she gives me plenty of chickens." Women of Medival France\|Pierce Butler He had got about half-way, when a hen rose a few feet from him, at his right. The Young Surveyor;\|J. T. Trowbridge They have no more sympathy for them than a hound has for a hare, or a hawk for a hen, or a tiger for a calf. New Tabernacle Sermons\|Thomas De Witt Talmage The Spanish name is gallina del campo, literally, hen of the field. The Shirley Letters from California Mines in 1851-52\|Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe British Dictionary definitions for hen hen / (hɛn) / noun the female of any bird, esp the adult female of the domestic fowl the female of certain other animals, such as the lobster informal a woman regarded as gossipy or foolish Scot dialect a term of address (often affectionate), used to women and girls scarce as hen's teeth extremely rare Word Origin for hen Old English henn; related to Old High German henna, Old Frisian henne Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Idioms and Phrases with hen hen see mad as a hornet (wet hen); scarce as hen's teeth. The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Words related to hen chicken, goose, pheasant, fowl, duck, geese, pigeon, poultry, turkey, game, chick, cock, bird, capon, rooster, grouse, quail, pullet, partridge, biddy
随便看	farmland farmout farm-sitter farmstead farm system farm team farm-to-table farm-toun farmwoman farmworker farmyard farnarkel farnborough farnese farnesol farnham far north farnsworth faro faroes faroese far-off farolito farouche farouk i

hen

noun

Origin of hen

OTHER WORDS FROM hen

Words nearby hen

Example sentences from the Web for hen

British Dictionary definitions for hen

noun

Word Origin for hen

Idioms and Phrases with hen

Words related to hen