Hen

Pronunciation: /hɛn/

Definitions of hen

noun a woman, especially one who is bossy or domineering

Example Sentences

A1 The hen laid three eggs in the nest.

A2 The farmer feeds the hen every morning.

B1 The hen clucked loudly when she saw the fox approaching.

B2 The hen's feathers were a beautiful shade of brown and gold.

C1 The hen was the matriarch of the chicken coop, keeping all the other hens in line.

C2 The hen was a prized show bird, winning many competitions for her breed.

Examples of hen in a Sentence

formal The hen laid eggs every morning in the coop.

informal The hen is brooding on her eggs in the nest.

slang That hen is a real clucker, always making noise.

figurative She's as protective as a mother hen when it comes to her children.

Grammatical Forms of hen

• past tense: henned
• plural: hens
• comparative: more hen-like
• superlative: most hen-like
• present tense: hen
• future tense: will hen
• perfect tense: have henned
• continuous tense: is henned
• singular: hen
• positive degree: hen
• infinitive: to hen
• gerund: henning
• participle: henned

Origin and Evolution of hen

First Known Use: 0888 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'hen' originated from Old English 'henn' which is derived from Proto-Germanic 'hanjō'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'hen' has retained its basic meaning of a female chicken but has also been used metaphorically to refer to a woman, particularly in a derogatory sense.