den

[den]

See more synonyms for den on Thesaurus.com

noun

the lair or shelter of a wild animal, especially a predatory mammal.
a room, often secluded, in a house or apartment, designed to provide a quiet, comfortable, and informal atmosphere for conversation, reading, writing, etc.
a cave used as a place of shelter or concealment.

a squalid or vile abode or place: dens of misery.
one of the units of a cub scout pack, analogous to a patrol in the Boy Scouts.

verb (used with object), denned, den·ning.

to drive or pursue (an animal) into its den.
to kill (an animal) inside its den.

verb (used without object), denned, den·ning.

to live in or as if in a den.

Origin of den

before 1000; Middle English; Old English denn; compare early Dutch denne floor, cave, den, German Tenne floor

Den.

Denmark.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for den

sanctuary, nest, cave, hotbed, studio, library, playroom, lair, shelter, sanctum, haunt, couch, burrow, cubbyhole, lodge, cloister, hole, hideout, study, retreat

Examples from the Web for den

Contemporary Examples of den

It is unknown whether John Doe is David Neuman, who was once an executive at DEN.
New Hollywood Sex Scandal: Bryan Singer’s Accuser Files Another Suit
Tim Teeman
June 10, 2014
When she got up at two the next afternoon, Jerry Lee was still up, drinking in his den.
The Strange and Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis
Richard Ben Cramer
January 11, 2014
As Perryman walked into the den, the Killer was sitting with his feet up in his favorite recliner chair.
The Strange and Mysterious Death of Mrs. Jerry Lee Lewis
Richard Ben Cramer
January 11, 2014
Residents of South Carolina divorce at a rate twice as high as for that den of iniquity, Washington, D.C.
Marianne Gingrich Interview Casts Doubts on Newt’s New Image
Margaret Carlson
January 20, 2012
At just past noon, The Roots emerge from their den and strut into the Fallon studio.
A Day in the Life of The Roots' Questlove
Marlow Stern
December 9, 2011

Historical Examples of den

Yates threw off his coat, and went to work as if he were in his own den in the Argus building.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr
This was not surprising, for the den was only half a mile away.
Johnny Bear
E. T. Seton
He neither affects to show himself, nor lies sullen in his den.
Tales And Novels, Volume 9 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
All his old prejudices were reviving; it was as if he were going to some ogre's den.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
He retired into his den, and presently emerged with a sheet of paper in his hand.
Jennie Baxter, Journalist
Robert Barr

British Dictionary definitions for den

den

noun

the habitat or retreat of a lion or similar wild animal; lair
a small or secluded room in a home, often used for carrying on a hobby
a squalid or wretched room or retreat
a site or haunta den of vice
Scot a small wooded valley; dingle
Scot and Northern English dialect a place of sanctuary in certain catching games; home or base

verb dens, denning or denned

(intr) to live in or as if in a den

Word Origin for den

Old English denn; related to Old High German tenni threshing floor, early Dutch denne low ground, den, cave

Den.

abbreviation for

Denmark

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for den

Old English denn "wild animal's lair," from Proto-Germanic *danjan (cf. Middle Low German denne "lowland, wooded vale, den," Old English denu "valley," Old Frisian dene "down," Old High German tenni, German tenne "threshing floor," from PIE *dan- "low ground"). Sense of "small room" is 1771, originally colloquial.