1
a
: a female chicken especially over a year old
broadly
: a female bird
b
: the female of various mostly aquatic animals (such as lobsters or fish)
2
: woman
especially
: a fussy middle-aged woman
Examples of hen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Start with the grain that feeds the hens that lay the eggs.
—
Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 27 Sep. 2024
Animal Place Grass Valley, California This 600-acre sanctuary in Grass Valley, California, which focuses mostly on farm animals, has rescued or re-homed almost 30,000 hens alone, not to mention numerous roosters, goats, turkeys, pigs, dogs, and even pigeons.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 19 Aug. 2024
In Greektown, Table No. 2 three-course meal is $55, featuring a northern Michigan salad, roasted Cornish hen (there's a vegetarian option), and a chocolate torte for dessert.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 17 Oct. 2024
Rather, market efficiency drove prices up in response to an unprecedented wave of avian flu that caused the unfortunate loss of 100 million hens and a third of the U.S. egg supply.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hen 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 27 Sep. 2024
Animal Place Grass Valley, California This 600-acre sanctuary in Grass Valley, California, which focuses mostly on farm animals, has rescued or re-homed almost 30,000 hens alone, not to mention numerous roosters, goats, turkeys, pigs, dogs, and even pigeons.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 19 Aug. 2024
In Greektown, Table No. 2 three-course meal is $55, featuring a northern Michigan salad, roasted Cornish hen (there's a vegetarian option), and a chocolate torte for dessert.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 17 Oct. 2024
Rather, market efficiency drove prices up in response to an unprecedented wave of avian flu that caused the unfortunate loss of 100 million hens and a third of the U.S. egg supply.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hen
Articles Related to hen
Dictionary Entries Near hen
Cite this Entry
“Hen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hen. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hen
noun1
: a female chicken especially over a year old
2
: a female of any bird
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share