den

1 of 3

noun

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

den

2 of 3

verb

denned; denning

intransitive verb

: to live in or retire to a den
polar bears den in ice caves or snowdrifts

transitive verb

: to drive into a den

Den

3 of 3

abbreviation

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
Noun
In August 1989, the Menendez brothers shot their parents, up close and personal, 13 times in the den of their Beverly Hills mansion. Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 She was supposed to go to her den and sleep into eternity. Christina Shaw, Fox News, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
Wet bars are often nooks in a living room, dining room, library, or den versus being separate rooms of their own, adds Leah O’Connell, principal designer at Leah O’Connell Design in San Anselmo, California. Rebecca Shinners, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2024 Ringed seals, polar bears' primary source of prey, need adequate snow depth to successfully den and protect their young in the springtime. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 13 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for den 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'den.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English denn; akin to Old English denu valley, Old High German tenni threshing floor

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of den was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near den

Cite this Entry

“Den.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/den. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

den

noun
ˈden
1
: the shelter or resting place of a wild animal
2
: a hiding place (as for thieves)
3
: a dirty run-down place in which people live or gather
dens of misery
4
: a comfortable room set apart usually for reading and relaxation
5
: a division of a Cub Scout pack

Legal Definition

den

abbreviation
denied

More from Merriam-Webster on den

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!