hen en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /hɛn/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- /hen/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
- /hɪn/ (US, pin-pen-merger)
- (US) audio
Etymology
From Middle English hen, from Old English henn (“hen”), from Proto-West Germanic *hannju, from Proto-Germanic *hanjō (“hen”), from Proto-Indo-European *kan-, *kana- (“to sing”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hanne (“hen”), West Frisian hin (“hen”), Dutch hen (“hen”), German Low German Heen (“hen”), German Henne (“hen”), Danish høne (“hen”), Swedish höna (“hen”), Icelandic hæna (“hen”). Related to Old English hana (“cock, rooster”). Also cognate to Latin cicōnia (“stork”), Latin canō (“to sing”), Russian каню́к (kanjúk, “buzzard”). Compare Russian пету́х (petúx, “rooster, cock”) from Russian петь (petʹ, “to sing”). Etymology 1, noun sense 7 after cock (“male chicken; man's penis”).
Meanings
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A female chicken (Gallus gallus), especially a sexually mature one kept for her eggs.
She was a fat, round little woman, richly apparelled in velvet and lace, […]; and the way she laughed, cackling like a hen, the way she talked to the waiters and the maid,[…]—all these unexpected phenomena impelled one to hysterical mirth, and made one class her with such immortally ludicrous types as Ally Sloper, the Widow Twankey, or Miss Moucher.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter II, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
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A female of other bird species, particularly a sexually mature female fowl.
In Tain, north of Inverness, staff detected 11 males and at least seven hens – the highest number there since 2011.
2023 June 17, Severin Carrell, “Dancing Capercaillie bird makes a tentative comeback in Scotland”, in The Guardian:
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(uncommon) A female fish (especially a salmon or trout) or crustacean.
As spawning time approaches – autumn or very early winter in most rivers, though in some late-run streams salmon may spawn as late as January or February – the hen's colouration becomes first a matt-pewter and then a drab dark brown-grey. The cock fish, in contrast, begins to gain some brighter colours.
2005, Roderick Sutterby, Malcolm Greenhalgh, “Life in the Nursery”, in Atlantic Salmon: An Illustrated Natural History, Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, →ISBN, page 21:
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(figuratively) A woman.
Hen, a woman. A cock and hen club; a club composed of men and women.
1785, Francis Grose, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue:
- (UK, figuratively, informal) A woman. ▸ A bride-to-be, particularly in the context of a hen night.
- (UK, informal) A hen night.
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(Scotland, informal) An affectionate term of address used to women or girls.
Don't cry, hen. Everything will be all right.
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(qualifier:transgender slang) The penis of a trans woman.
Coordinate term: cock
- (derogatory, figuratively, uncommon) A henlike person of either sex.
- The hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria), a bivalve shellfish.
- (obsolete) A large pewter pot used in a tavern.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| henne | alternative | lexicographic | |
| hens | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
chicken · buck · cock · cock · cock · rooster · cockerel · cockfish
Deriveds
hen-harm · guinea hen · henhouse · hen-driver · hen-mould · rice hen · tappit hen · hen-balk · hen-toed · hen weekend · rare as hen's teeth · hen pigeon · hen-brained · hen hearted · Maori hen · hen and chicks · hen do · Port Egmont hen · henyard · mudhen · hazel-hen · henlike · hen-heartedness · henbane · hen of Guinea · woodhen · henless · turkey hen · hen night · fat hen · blue hen-hawk · hen-dove · Cornish game hen · hen-cackle · scarce as hen's teeth · hen louse · spruce hen · hen-killer · dakerhen · heath-hen · hen-blindness · sea-hen · jungle hen · henhood · bush-hen · hen-hearted · miserable as a wet hen · wild as a wet hen · grey hen · hen harrier · hen-yard · hen-trough · mother hen · hen-tailed · like a hen on a hot griddle · henpeck · hen of the woods · hen-fruit · hencoop · hensure · cock and hen · better an egg today than a hen tomorrow · peahen · hen-dam · hen dove · Pharaoh's hen · hen-hutch · henpecked · swamphen · gorhen · hen-corn · cock-and-hen · hen-witted · cock-and-hen club · hen-court · battery hen · hen party · daker-hen · hen-footed · hen's teeth · henfest · laying hen · mother-hen · hen up · hen-like · hen-flesh · mad as a wet hen · hen-and-egg · hen-wife · henatrice · hen house · hen-frigate · hennish · henwife · Cornish hen · hen clam · sea hen · hen of grease · hen-keep · hensureness · hen-party · guinea-hen · hen's bill · hen-headed · hen-pigeon · chaparral hen · hen peck · hen and chicken · newshen · hen-loft · hens' teeth · water hen · hennery · blue hen · henshit · hen-house · henny · hen run · hen-hawk · hen-clam · marsh hen · guinea hen weed · greyhen · hen-harrier · hen-peck · moorhen · rare as hens' teeth · hen-run · sage hen · Our Lady's hen · waterhen · angry as a wet hen · stank hen · like a hen with one chick · hen-feathered · hen-fish · mud hen · henopause · hen-plant · henhussy · hen-scratch · heath hen · gray hen · henroost · sagehen · hen's fruit · hen scratch · mallee hen · turkey-hen · hen's tooth · hazel hen
Hypernyms
Synonyms
spawner · hen-bird (female bird) · princess wand · bachelorette · they/them · trannycock · femcock · clit · strap-off · hen · girldick · hard clam (M. mercenaria) · strapless · girlglock · femdick · ladyparts · shenis · ladystick · hen-clam (M. mercenaria) · hen-fish (M. mercenaria) · shecock · gock · ladybits · henfish · clitoris · girlcock · fishess
Translations (259)
ca au femella (female bird) · ta கோழி (female chicken) · pt galinha (hen-like woman) · os карк (female chicken) · pap galiña (female chicken) · rcf poul (female chicken) · ar دِجَاجَة (female chicken) · mk же́нка (female bird) · vec gaƚina (female chicken) · eo kokino (female chicken) · it gallina (hen-like woman) · inh котам (female chicken) · mr कोंबडी (female chicken) · tl inahin (female chicken) · fa مرغ (female bird) · myp páxaihi (female chicken) · sh ženka (female bird) · udi кӏокӏоц́ (female chicken) · sog ܡܪܮ (female chicken) · tyz cáy me̱ (female chicken) · nds Hohn (female chicken) · kmr mirîşk (female chicken) · ae [script needed] (kahrkäsah) (female bird) · wa poye (female chicken) · xpr karga (kirga) (female bird) · sh ко̏ко̄ш (female chicken) · luy engokho (female chicken) · is hæna (female chicken) · wo ganaar gu jigéen (female chicken) · vi gà mái (female chicken) · nrf poule (female chicken) · ps چرګه (female chicken) · nl moederkloek (hen-like woman) · ar جاجة (female chicken) · chr ᏣᏔᎦ ᎠᎩᏏ (female chicken) · ru тёлка (hen-like woman) · el κότα (female chicken) · ms ayam betina (female bird) · ruq găľină (female chicken) · sma vöönhtse (female chicken) · lv vista (female chicken) · sh kòkōška (female chicken) · el πουλάδα (female bird) · pt ave-fêmea (female bird) · de Legehenne (female chicken) · es ave hembra (female bird) · kpv курӧг (female chicken) · zh 母雞 /母鸡 (female chicken) · sc pudda (female chicken) · kg nsusu (female chicken) · arn achao (female chicken) · qu wallpa (female chicken) · ur مرغی (female chicken) · mn эм тахиа (female chicken) · az toyuq (female chicken) · wa glene (female chicken) · bo བྱ་མོ (female chicken) · eu oilo (female chicken) · ja 雌鶏 (female chicken) · prg gerto (female chicken) · sc pudha (female chicken) · sah куурусса (female chicken) · vo jigok (female chicken) · ka ქათამი (female chicken) · ta பெண் (hen-like woman) · nl wijfje (female bird) · ru ку́рочка (female chicken) · nl hen (female chicken) · pt pássara (female bird) · fi kana (female bird) · ks کۄکٕر (female chicken) · as কুকুৰা (female chicken) · ang cwēnfugol (female bird) · tt тавык (female chicken) · kk тауық (female chicken) · oc galina (female chicken) · zza kerg (diq) (female chicken) · pdt Han (female chicken) · rif tyaẓiṭṭ (female chicken) · ota طاوق (female chicken) · mn тахиа (female chicken) · bcl gunakan (female chicken) · te కోడిపెట్ట (female chicken) · ttt kərg (female chicken) · fa کرک (female chicken) · dlm galaina (female chicken) · mi uwha (female bird) · de Henne (female chicken) · ru ку́рочка (female bird) · io hanino (female chicken) · tk towuk (female chicken) · ja めんどり (female bird) · uz tovuq (female chicken) · fo høna (female chicken) · ru са́мка (female bird) · ast gallina (female chicken) · lo ໄກ່ແມ່ (female chicken) · vec pita (female chicken) · ast pita (female chicken) · sl kokoš (female chicken) · hi मुर्गी (female chicken) · sq pulë (female chicken) · rup gãljinã (female chicken) · pam gayindu (female chicken) · fy hin (female chicken) · nrf g'linne (female chicken) · ca gallina (female chicken) · mk ко́кошка (female chicken) · zh 母雞 /母鸡 (female bird) · te ఆడపక్షి (female bird) · yue 雞乸 /鸡乸 (female chicken) · nb høne (female chicken) · zh 雞母 /鸡母 (female chicken) · ctd aak (female chicken) · pon litok (female chicken) · be ку́рыца (female chicken) · zne kondo (female chicken) · fr poule (female chicken) · krc тауукъ (female chicken) · kjh таңах (female chicken) · shi tacicawt (female chicken) · nl hen (female bird) · nl legkip (female chicken) · gd cearc (female bird) · vo nögamajigok (cf. nögön) (female chicken) · ki ngoko (female chicken) · nn høne (female chicken) · sh кока (hen-like woman) · ru ба́ба (hen-like woman) · sv höna (female bird) · pl kura (female chicken) · gl galiña (female chicken) · cop ⲁⲛⲁⲡⲁⲓ (female chicken) · udm курег (female chicken) · pt galinha (female chicken) · co gallina (female bird) · nl leghen (female chicken) · da høne (female chicken) · eo birdino (female bird) · esh کرگه (female bird) · sh koka (hen-like woman) · la gallīna (female chicken) · kam nguku (female chicken) · scn gaddina (female chicken) · twf lìlúna (female chicken) · pa کُکَّڑی (female chicken) · ru ку́рица (female chicken) · ang henn (female chicken) · lt višta (female chicken) · unm xkwehële (female bird) · es gallina (female chicken) · xqa تَقاغُو (female chicken) · alt таак (female chicken) · mt tiġieġ (female chicken) · cs slepice (female bird) · hu tyúk (female chicken) · niv пʼеӄ (female chicken) · koi курӧг (female chicken) · fur gjaline (female chicken) · my ကြက်မ (female chicken) · hu tojó (female bird) · sdh مامِر (female chicken) · ro găină (female chicken) · mic go'qoli'gwej (female chicken) · mi kātua (female bird) · ar دُجاجة (female chicken) · sl kura (female chicken) · ko 암탉 (female chicken) · gd cearc (female chicken) · mzn کرک (female chicken) · fa مرغ (female chicken) · ane dö (female chicken) · sw tembe (female chicken) · he תַּרְנְגֹלֶת (female chicken) · pal kirk (female bird) · shi tafullust (female chicken) · alt кужычак (female chicken) · pam gaindu (female chicken) · uk ку́рка (female chicken) · cy iâr (female chicken) · nds Hään (female chicken) · kln ngoket (female chicken) · tly kağ (female chicken) · ky тоок (female chicken) · clt aapuvnung (female chicken) · it gallina (female chicken) · mk ко́кошка (hen-like woman) · ba тауыҡ (female chicken) · tr tavuk (female chicken) · da høne (female bird) · co ghjallina (female bird) · et kana (female chicken) · luo gweno (female chicken) · tr bulli (female chicken) · id ayam betina (female chicken) · sk kurča (female chicken) · pa ਕੁੱਕੜੀ (female bird) · sh ко̀ко̄шка (female chicken) · tg мурғ (female chicken) · sh женка (female bird) · co ghjaddina (female bird) · sv brutta (hen-like woman) · de Weibchen (female bird) · af hen (female chicken) · ar دُجَاجَة (female chicken) · rm giaglina (female chicken) · ta பெண் (female bird) · fi kana (female chicken) · dlm čauca (female bird) · it gallina (female bird) · ang hænn (female chicken) · aii ܟܬܲܝܬܵܐ (female chicken) · aii ܬܲܪܢܵܓܘܿܠܬܵܐ (female chicken) · ar دَجَاجَة (female chicken) · sh kȍkōš (female chicken) · mer nguku (female chicken) · ga cearc (female chicken) · el κότα (hen-like woman) · sv höna (female chicken) · ar فَرْخَة (female chicken) · ar دْجاجة (female chicken) · ckb مِریشک (female chicken) · th แม่ไก่ (female chicken) · he תרנגולת (female chicken) · bg коко́шка (female chicken) · ce котам (female chicken) · nap gallina (female chicken) · kix vēunyū (female chicken) · mnc ᡝᠮᡳᠯᡝ ᠴᠣᡴᠣ (female chicken) · yue 母雞 /母鸡 (female chicken) · sk sliepka (female chicken) · cv чӑх (female chicken) · bn মুরগি (female chicken) · hy հավ (female chicken) · ka ქათმისა (female chicken) · ccc atawali (female chicken) · ja 雌鶏 (female bird) · sv brud (hen-like woman) · ms ayam betina (female chicken) · km មាន់ញី (female chicken) · mhn henn (female chicken) · co gallina (female chicken) · fr poule (hen-like woman) · ceb himungaan (female chicken) · cs slepice (female chicken) · ee koklonɔ (female chicken) · sw tembe (female bird) · sw kuku (female chicken) · sl koklja (female chicken) · ug مېكىيان (female chicken) · qu tuqtu (female bird) · vec galina (female chicken) · xag 𐕄𐕒𐕡𐕄𐕒𐕡𐕟 (female chicken) · mi uha (female bird) · nl kip (female chicken) · nds Heen (female chicken) · de Huhn (female chicken) · hy մարի (female bird) · ki mwera (female chicken)