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
Earlier this year, the steep rise in prices and issues with supply as massive flocks of egg-laying hens were being killed in bird flu outbreaks also caused stores to run out of eggs and limit the number of cartons as people were stockpiling and in some cases panic-buying eggs.
—
Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2025
The moveable tractor coop is in the field today, and the heirloom hens are inside, fertilizing the organic soil and eating insects.
—Scott Clark As Told To Betsy Andrews, Saveur, 3 Apr. 2025
The virus, which spreads rapidly through commercial flocks, has forced producers to cull tens of millions of egg-laying hens, creating sudden supply shocks that drive up prices.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2025
States including Nevada and Arizona have paused animal welfare policies that required eggs to come from cage-free hens, in an effort to address tight supplies and high prices.
—Tom Polansek, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2025
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.
Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2025
The moveable tractor coop is in the field today, and the heirloom hens are inside, fertilizing the organic soil and eating insects.
—Scott Clark As Told To Betsy Andrews, Saveur, 3 Apr. 2025
The virus, which spreads rapidly through commercial flocks, has forced producers to cull tens of millions of egg-laying hens, creating sudden supply shocks that drive up prices.
—Mike Winters, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2025
States including Nevada and Arizona have paused animal welfare policies that required eggs to come from cage-free hens, in an effort to address tight supplies and high prices.
—Tom Polansek, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hen
Cite this Entry
“Hen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hen. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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