1
: the lair of a wild usually predatory animal
2
a(1)
: a hollow or cavern used especially as a hideout
(2)
: a center of secret activity
b
: a small usually squalid dwelling
3
: a comfortable usually secluded room
4
: a subdivision of a Cub Scout pack made up of two or more boys
5
British
: a small structure built by children as a place to play, hide, or provide shelter
We roamed the fields and made dens in the hedges, dragging old logs and brushwood with scraps of canvas and rope to make shelters to hide in.—
Pat Smith
Pat Smith
denned; denning
: to live in or retire to a den
polar bears den in ice caves or snowdrifts
: to drive into a den
Denmark
Examples of den in a Sentence
Noun
The bears will spend most of the winter in their den.
The TV is in the den.
He spent most evenings in the den reading and smoking his pipe.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Trujillo, People.com, 2 Dec. 2024
But for a brown-furred squirrel trying to live through a white winter wonderland, the impulse to leave the den and seek out water could easily be a death sentence.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 28 Nov. 2024
Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024
The house had 1,904 square feet and a two-car garage, and the layout was flipped, with the bedrooms on the ground floor and the open kitchen, family room, dining room and den upstairs.
—Mark Kreidler, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for den 
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.
Noun
The writing desk has a thick metal frame and dark wood finish on top that will go nicely in a bedroom, den, or office space.
—Rachel Trujillo, People.com, 2 Dec. 2024
But for a brown-furred squirrel trying to live through a white winter wonderland, the impulse to leave the den and seek out water could easily be a death sentence.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 28 Nov. 2024
Verb
Bears that den beneath homes and businesses can dislodge insulation and wiring, some of which keeps the pipes from freezing.
—Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024
The house had 1,904 square feet and a two-car garage, and the layout was flipped, with the bedrooms on the ground floor and the open kitchen, family room, dining room and den upstairs.
—Mark Kreidler, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for den
Dictionary Entries Near den
Cite this Entry
“Den.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/den. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share