hen

noun

ˈhen

: a female chicken especially over a year old

broadly : a female bird

: the female of various mostly aquatic animals (such as lobsters or fish)

: woman

especially : a fussy middle-aged woman

Examples of hen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

The bill, which went into effect in recent years, in part banned confinement of egg-laying hens (chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and guinea fowl) in certain areas with less than 1 square foot of usable floor space per hen. —

Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025 Cage free means that the hens that laid the eggs were not confined to battery cages, a wire cage used to house hens and other animals in factory farms. —

Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 18 Dec. 2024 For lunch he will be served Cornish hen, macaroni and cheese, cranberry sauce and rolls, and for Christmas dinner, two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. —

Danielle Bacher, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024 This body produced scientific opinions on laying hens and other farm animals following the End the Cage ECI. —

Christine Ro, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hen