hen
gb/hˈɛn/ us/hˈɛn/
A2
English
~ 7900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Adult female chicken
An adult female chicken, usually kept on a farm for its eggs.
Usage pattern:
[someone] keeps [hens]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "hen" to talk about chicken meat in food contexts. In modern English, people usually say "chicken" for the meat (for example, "grilled chicken"), and use "hen" mainly when talking about the live bird, especially on farms.
Synonyms
female chicken (More explicit and descriptive; less commonly used as a fixed term.)
|
chicken (General word for the bird; does not specify female unless context makes it clear.)
Antonyms
rooster (The adult male chicken, contrasting with the female hen.)
Collocations
laying hen
|battery hen
|broody hen
|free-range hens
|hen house
|keep hens
Themes
animals
|food
|farming
|food_drink
Examples
- They keep six hens in the back garden for fresh eggs.
- The brown hen clucked loudly as the farmer collected the eggs.
- A fox got into the coop and scared all the hens.
- This breed of hen is known for laying large brown eggs.
- The children loved feeding the hens on their grandparents' farm.
Learner examples
- The hen lays an egg every day.
- My aunt has three hens and one rooster.
- A big white hen is standing in the yard.
- The farmer feeds the hens every morning.
- We saw many hens at the farm.
Noun
B2
entity
2
Female bird of a species
An adult female bird of a certain kind, for example a female duck or pheasant.
Usage pattern:
[hen] [bird species]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "hen" always means a chicken. In bird books or nature programs, it can also mean the adult female of another bird species, such as a pheasant or duck, especially when the male and female look different.
Synonyms
female bird (More general and descriptive; used when the species is already clear from context.)
Antonyms
male bird (Refers to the male of the same bird species, in contrast to the female hen.)
Collocations
hen pheasant
|hen turkey
|hen duck
|hen harrier
Themes
animals
|nature
Examples
- The hen pheasant is much duller in color than the brightly patterned male.
- We watched a hen duck leading her ducklings across the pond.
- In this species, the hen is larger than the cock.
- The hen turkey built a nest in the tall grass.
- Birdwatchers spotted a hen harrier hunting over the marshes.
Learner examples
- The hen pheasant has brown feathers, but the male is very colorful.
- A hen duck looked after many small ducklings.
- The hen is the female bird in this species.
- The hen turkey made a nest on the ground.
- The male and the hen look very different.
Noun
informal
C1
entity
3
Woman, mildly insulting term
An informal word for a woman that can sound rude, often used when someone thinks she is silly or likes to talk too much.
Usage pattern:
[someone] calls [someone] a hen
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use this sense of "hen" thinking it is a friendly or neutral word for a woman. In most contexts it sounds rude, old-fashioned, or mocking. Use neutral words like "woman" or "lady" instead, unless you clearly understand the tone and social context.
Synonyms
woman (Neutral and polite; does not have the negative or mocking feeling of "hen" in this sense.)
|
old biddy (Informal and clearly insulting, often for an older woman who is seen as nosy or fussy.)
Antonyms
man (Opposite in terms of gender; contrasts with referring to a woman as a "hen".)
Collocations
silly hen
|old hen
|you silly hen
|a clucking hen
Themes
people
|attitudes
|communication
|relationships
Examples
- He waved her away with a laugh and said, "You silly hen, stop worrying about everything."
- She did not like being talked about as an old hen by the younger staff.
- They sat in the corner like a bunch of clucking hens, commenting on everyone who walked past.
- Calling her a hen behind her back was both childish and disrespectful.
- The film shows how the men dismiss the women as harmless hens.
Learner examples
- He called her a silly hen, and she was angry.
- They talk about the women as old hens, which is not nice.
- Do not call your boss a hen; it is rude.
- The men think the women are just hens who talk too much.
- She hates it when people call her a hen.
Noun
informal
C1
relation
4
Affectionate address for a woman
In some areas of the UK, a friendly word people use to speak to a woman or girl, like saying dear or love.
Usage pattern:
[someone] calls [someone] hen
Common mistake:
Learners may think this affectionate use of "hen" is common everywhere in English, but it is mainly regional in Scotland and parts of northern England. Outside those areas, using "hen" this way can sound strange or be misunderstood.
Synonyms
dear (Affectionate term of address; a bit more widespread and slightly more formal-sounding.)
|
love (Common affectionate address in parts of the UK; similar warmth but slightly different regional use.)
Antonyms
sir (Polite form of address for a man, contrasting with the female-directed, informal "hen" in this sense.)
Collocations
thanks, hen
|are you all right, hen?
|sit down, hen
|come here, hen
Themes
relationships
|daily life
|communication
Examples
- "Thanks, hen," the shop assistant said with a smile as she handed back the change.
- Are you all right, hen, you look a bit tired today.
- Come in out of the rain, hen, and I will make you a cup of tea.
- Sit yourself down, hen, and tell me what happened.
- Do not worry, hen, everything will be fine.
Learner examples
- In Scotland, a woman might say, "How are you, hen?" to her friend.
- The old lady said, "Come in, hen," to the girl.
- You may hear people call a woman hen in some parts of the UK.
- He said, "Thanks, hen," when she gave him the ticket.
- This word hen is friendly here, not rude.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
5
Female of certain animals
In scientific or fishing language, the adult female of some animals, like a lobster or crab, when people need to show the difference between female and male.
Usage pattern:
[hen] [animal]
Common mistake:
Learners may wrongly think this use is common in everyday speech. In fact, it is mainly used in scientific writing or by people who work with these animals, such as fishers and biologists.
Synonyms
female (General word for the sex of an animal; "hen" here is more specific to certain species and contexts.)
Antonyms
cock (Technical term for the male of some animals, used in contrast with the female hen in specialist contexts.)
Collocations
hen lobster
|hen crab
|hen salmon
Themes
science
|animals
|nature
Examples
- Regulations forbid the capture of a hen lobster carrying eggs.
- Fishermen are encouraged to release large hen crabs to protect the breeding stock.
- The biologist recorded the size of each hen salmon caught during the survey.
- It is easy to spot a hen lobster because the underside is wider to hold eggs.
- The study compared growth rates of cock and hen crabs in coastal waters.
Learner examples
- The law says you must put a hen lobster with eggs back into the sea.
- The hen crab carries many eggs under her body.
- In this report, they talk about cock and hen crabs.
- The hen salmon swims up the river to lay eggs.
- Fishermen can tell a hen lobster from a cock lobster by its shape.
Grammar
Expressions
hen night
1/hˈɛn nˈaɪt/
fixed phrase
informal
Evening pre-wedding party for a woman
An evening party for a woman before her wedding, with only her female friends and family, usually including going out together.
Examples
- They hired a limousine for her hen night in the city.
- The hen night got a bit wild, but everyone had fun.
- We are planning my sister's hen night for the Friday before the wedding.
hen party
1/hˈɛn pˈɑɹti/
fixed phrase
informal
Pre-wedding party for a woman
A party held for a woman before she gets married, where only her female friends and family are invited.
Examples
- They are flying to Barcelona for her hen party next weekend.
- The hotel offers special packages for hen parties and stag weekends.
- She wants a quiet hen party with just a few close friends.
mother hen
1/mˈʌðɚ hˈɛn/
idiom
Overly protective, caring person
A person, usually a woman, who is very protective and caring and often worries too much about other people.
Examples
- She is a real mother hen, always checking that everyone has eaten enough.
- He acted like a mother hen, texting his friends to make sure they got home safely.
- Stop being such a mother hen; the kids will be fine on their own for an hour.