den
noun
the lair or shelter of a wild animal, especially a predatory mammal.
den
1 American
[den]
/ dɛn /
noun
-
dens
plural
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the lair or shelter of a wild animal, especially a predatory mammal.
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a room, often secluded, in a house or apartment, designed to provide a quiet, comfortable, and informal atmosphere for conversation, reading, writing, etc.
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a cave used as a place of shelter or concealment.
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a squalid or vile abode or place.
dens of misery.
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one of the units of a cub scout pack, analogous to a patrol in the Boy Scouts.
verb (used with object)
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dens,
present (3rd person singular)
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denned,
past participle, past
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denning
present participle
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to drive or pursue (an animal) into its den.
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to kill (an animal) inside its den.
verb (used without object)
-
dens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
denned,
past participle, past
-
denning
present participle
Den.
2
American
abbreviation
den
1
British
/ dɛn /
noun
-
the habitat or retreat of a lion or similar wild animal; lair
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a small or secluded room in a home, often used for carrying on a hobby
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a squalid or wretched room or retreat
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a site or haunt
a den of vice
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a small wooded valley; dingle
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dialect a place of sanctuary in certain catching games; home or base
verb
Den.
2
British
abbreviation
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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densimple
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denssimple
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have dennedperfect
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has dennedperfect
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am denningprogressive
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are denningprogressive
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is denningprogressive
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have been denningperfect progressive
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has been denningperfect progressive
Past
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dennedsimple
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had dennedperfect
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was denningprogressive
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were denningprogressive
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had been denningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of den
before 1000; Middle English; Old English denn; compare early Dutch denne floor, cave, den, German Tenne floor
Explanation
Where’s the one place that bears go to hibernate and you go to watch the big game? It’s the den, a secluded room or shelter. Den is an Old English word meaning “shelter for a wild animal.” While we still use it in this sense, the word has taken on some additional meanings. For example, den can refer to a room that's used primarily for relaxing, watching television, and socializing with friends. (If your friends tend to act wild at times, then perhaps this definition isn’t so far off from the original one.) Den can also mean "a hideout for criminals."
Vocabulary lists containing den
Essential Three-Letter Words, Part 1
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Beowulf vocabulary
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3-letter words, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Additionally, the home has a den, built-in storage, curved staircase, outdoor movie pavilion, and 50-foot-long lap pool designed by Johnston Vidal.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
Lots of leagues and teams have invited outside investors into the den in order to raise cash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
"Some of the memories that they'll treasure most will come from simple things, like baking together or a picnic in the park, or building a den in the living room."
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
His nomination, subject to shareholder approval, comes as the brewer is facing lower beer sales after six years under CEO Dolf van den Brink, who surprised the company by stepping down after a "mixed performance".
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
Jay comes back in the den, holding the phone with her cheek and shoulder.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
Jeered heading into the ring but cheered as he left, Dubois told reporters: "I was Daniel in the Lion's Den. I was unstoppable. I wasn't going to be denied."
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2024
"Leicester came to the Den. We were winning 1-0, it was on TV, and I'd scored the goal," says Dunne.
From BBC ● May 31, 2016
Come on, dear old Den.; you'll hardly believe it, but I haven't got a scratch of my own.
From With Haig on the Somme by Archibald Webb
Growing up in rural Monmouthshire, she regularly got covered in mud and played for hours in the woods with her younger brother, damming rivers and making dens.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
So-called “barkitecture” includes marble puppy spas, cat hideaways and dens built specifically for Fido.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
In mountainous areas, such as Big Bear, several rattlesnakes will live together in dens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026
In its famous showstopper, “Ya Got Trouble,” con man Harold Hill warns the River City townsfolk about supposed dens of immorality, and the children notice Matty in the crowd, holding a bundle.
From Salon ● Nov. 9, 2025
He could go, visit, maybe learn to use his power better, leave the gambling dens of Ketterdam behind.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
She returned to an area near Topanga Canyon, where she denned for months, beginning in October.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2025
During her time under observation, Uno probably denned more than once; she produced at least one litter, with four kittens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2024
He recommends waiting to put feeders out until there is 4 to 6 inches of snow on the ground to be sure the bears denned for the winter.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 9, 2017
Much of the present trouble grows out of the fact that defense-supporting programs is a misleading term, loosely denned by the Government.
From Time Magazine Archive
I knew the old ringtails would be hungry and stirring for they had been denned up during the storm.
From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls
When wolves are denning, they’re anchored to one spot — the den — upping the chances of finding them.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2025
The researchers concluded that the cave was used primarily by hibernating cave bears and denning hyenas, with only periodic human presence.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 31, 2024
The 2020 rule removed restrictions on such things as harvesting bears over bait; taking wolves and coyotes during the denning season; taking swimming caribou; and using dogs to hunt black bears, the agency said.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2023
Ideal denning conditions and abundant food attract the antisocial animals and force them into close quarters, where it’s common for them to poke, prod, grab and otherwise annoy one another.
From New York Times ● Nov. 9, 2022
What would the momma polar bears do for dens when wildfires destroyed their ancestral denning sites?
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
