English Explanatory Dictionary

hen

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A female chicken (Gallus gallus), especially a sexually mature one kept for her eggs.
  2. A female of other bird species, particularly a sexually mature female fowl.
  3. A female fish (especially a salmon or trout) or crustacean.
  4. A woman.
  5. A bride-to-be, particularly in the context of a hen night.
  6. A hen night.
  7. An affectionate term of address used to women or girls.
  8. The penis of a trans woman.
  9. A henlike person of either sex.
  10. The hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria), a bivalve shellfish.
  11. A large pewter pot used in a tavern.
verb
  1. Synonym of mother-hen.
adv
  1. Hence.
verb
  1. To throw.

Pronunciation

/hɛn/ En-us-hen.ogg

Word forms

hen hens henne henning henned

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”).

Synonyms

hen-bird bachelorette fishess henfish spawner clit clitoris femcock femdick girlcock girldick girlglock gock hen ladybits ladyparts ladystick princess wand shecock shenis strapless strap-off trannycock hard clam hen-clam hen-fish mother-hen

Related words

broody

Derived words

angry as a wet hen battery hen better an egg today than a hen tomorrow blue hen blue hen-hawk bush-hen chaparral hen cock-and-hen club cock and hen cock-and-hen Cornish game hen Cornish hen daker-hen dakerhen fat hen gorhen grey hen greyhen gray hen guinea-hen guinea hen guinea hen weed hazel hen hazel-hen heath-hen heath hen hen and chicken hen and chicks hen-and-egg hen-balk henbane hen-blindness hen-brained hen-cackle hen-clam hen clam hencoop hen-corn hen-court hen-dam hen do hen-dove hen dove hen-driver hen-feathered henfest hen-fish hen-flesh hen-footed hen-frigate hen-fruit hen-harm hen harrier hen-harrier hen-hawk hen-headed hen-hearted hen hearted hen-heartedness henhood

Translations

Armenian: մարի Avestan: [script needed] (kahrkäsah) Catalan: au femella Chinese Mandarin: 母雞 /母鸡 Corsican: gallina Corsican: ghjallina Corsican: ghjaddina Czech: slepice Dalmatian: čauca Danish: høne Dutch: wijfje Dutch: hen Dutch: moederkloek Eshtehardi: کرگه Esperanto: birdino Finnish: kana German: Weibchen Greek: πουλάδα Greek: κότα Hungarian: tojó Italian: gallina Japanese: めんどり Japanese: 雌鶏 Macedonian: же́нка Macedonian: ко́кошка Malay: ayam betina Māori: kātua Māori: uha Māori: uwha Old English: cwēnfugol Parthian: karga (kirga) Persian: مرغ Middle Persian: kirk Portuguese: ave-fêmea Portuguese: pássara Portuguese: galinha Punjabi: ਕੁੱਕੜੀ Quechua: tuqtu Russian: ку́рочка Russian: са́мка Russian: тёлка Russian: ба́ба Scottish Gaelic: cearc Serbo-Croatian: женка Serbo-Croatian: ženka Serbo-Croatian: кока Serbo-Croatian: koka Spanish: ave hembra Swahili: tembe Swedish: höna Swedish: brud Swedish: brutta Tamil: பெண் Telugu: ఆడపక్షి Unami: xkwehële French: poule
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