warren

noun

war·​ren ˈwȯr-ən 

ˈwär-

1

chiefly British

a

: a place legally authorized for keeping small game (such as hare or pheasant)

b

: the privilege of hunting game in such a warren

2

a(1)

: an area (as of uncultivated ground) where rabbits breed

(2)

: a structure where rabbits are kept or bred

b

: the rabbits of a warren

3

a

: a crowded tenement or district

b

: a maze of passageways or small rooms

Synonyms

• labyrinth
• maze
• rabbit warren

Examples of warren in a Sentence

a warren of narrow hallways

got lost in the warren of interconnected side streets

Recent Examples on the Web

Members of the public and lobbyists, many of whom were also vocally upset by the new gallery policy, are now sequestered within a warren of stanchions in the Capitol rotunda and wide hallway outside the Senate and House chambers. —Melissa Brown, The Tennessean, 9 Jan. 2024

Advertisement In the dense warren of stalls, the best-looking produce is displayed prominently: ripe bananas, glistening limes and orderly rows of broccoli and asparagus. —Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 26 Nov. 2024

But Meyer utilized that necessity to build tunnels and warrens that only a Bene Gesserit sister could manage. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 2 Dec. 2024

Photo: Rob Youngson/FX Jean McConville was a widowed mother of ten living in the high-rise warren of Divis Flats, a massive public housing complex in West Belfast. —Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English wareine, from Anglo-French warenne, garenne

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing warren

• rabbit warren

Kids Definition

warren

noun

war·​ren ˈwȯr-ən 

ˈwär-

: a place where rabbits breed

Geographical Definition

Warren

geographical name

War·​ren ˈwȯr-ən 

ˈwär-

1

city in southeastern Michigan north of Detroit population 134,056

2

city in northeastern Ohio northwest of Youngstown population 41,557

Biographical Definition

Warren 1 of 5

biographical name (1)

War·​ren ˈwȯr-ən 

ˈwär-

Earl 1891–1974 American jurist; chief justice U.S. Supreme Court (1953–69)

Warren

2 of 5

biographical name (2)

Gou*ver*neur ˌgə-vər-ˈnir 

ˌgə-və-

Kemble 1830–1882 American general

Warren

3 of 5

biographical name (3)

Joseph 1741–1775 American physician and general in Revolution

Warren

4 of 5

biographical name (4)

J. Robin 1937–2024 Australian pathologist

Warren

5 of 5

biographical name (5)

Robert Penn 1905–1989 American author and educator; poet laureate (1986–87)