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• Aden
  Aden

  noun

  a seaport in and the economic capital of the Republic of Yemen, in the southern part: formerly the center of a British colony.
• aden-
  aden-

  variant of adeno- before a vowel.

Aden

¹ American  

[ahd-n, eyd-n] / ˈɑd n, ˈeɪd n /

noun

1. a seaport in and the economic capital of the Republic of Yemen, in the southern part: formerly the center of a British colony.

2. Also called State of Aden.  Colony of Aden, a former British colony on the Gulf of Aden and a member of the former Federation of South Arabia. 75 sq. mi. (194 sq. km).

3. Protectorate of Aden, former name, until 1962, of the former Protectorate of South Arabia.

4. Gulf of Aden, an arm of the Arabian Sea between Arabia and the eastern tip of Africa.

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aden- ² American  

1. variant of adeno- before a vowel.

   adenitis.

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Aden British  

/ ˈeɪdən /

noun

1. the main port and commercial capital of Yemen, on the N coast of the Gulf of Aden , an arm of the Indian Ocean at the entrance to the Red Sea: capital of South Yemen until 1990: formerly an important port of call on shipping routes to the East. Pop: 584 000 (2005 est)

2. a former British colony and protectorate on the S coast of the Arabian Peninsula: became part of South Yemen in 1967, now part of Yemen. Area: 195 sq km (75 sq miles)

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Aden Cultural  

1. Capital and chief port of Yemen, located on the Gulf of Aden, near the southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula and the southern entrance of the Red Sea.

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Usage

What does aden- mean? Aden- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “gland.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in anatomy. Aden- comes from the Greek adḗn, meaning "gland." This Greek root is ultimately the source of adenoids, the enlarged masses of lymphoid tissue in the upper pharynx, often obstructing breathing through the nasal passages. Aden- is a variant of adeno-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use adeno-  article.

Discover More

Its strategic location and excellent harbor have made Aden an important trading center of southern Arabia since ancient times, as well as a coveted conquest.

Etymology

Origin of Aden

First recorded in 1640–60; from Arabic ʿAdin, ʿAdan, perhaps ultimately from Akkadian edin(n)u “plain,” from Sumerian eden “plain, steppe”; see Eden ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Aden

But attacks have multiplied in 2026, particularly in the Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen, which links the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

To turn this around, the government moved the banking system to Aden, unified the transfer network and took control of import financing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

Military spokesman Yahya Saree said missiles hit the tanker Wafa off Yanbu in the northern Red Sea and the tanker Daisy in the Gulf of Aden.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

Kelanic told BBC Verify that any Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden "will suppress all international traffic not just Saudi-bound vessels".

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

When Johnny and their daddy came on the mule, Jimmy was still on the bank pulling and Aden and me were still in the water pushing.

From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson