den
noun
the lair or shelter of a wild animal, especially a predatory mammal.
den
1 American
[den]
/ dɛn /
noun
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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)
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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
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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:
"The microbiome is emerging as an important factor in cancer care," said co-senior study author Marcel van den Brink, MD, PhD, chief physician executive at City of Hope.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
"During hibernation, bears do not eat or drink and lose one-third of their body weight. Their winter survival depends on accumulating ample fat reserves before entering the den," organisers wrote.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Despite their mudcat nickname, enormous catfish keep a surprisingly clean den.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
The 3-week-old kitten was found in his den on March 25.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
If they caught him in the act, not only could they prove Mr. Dimblewit was responsible for the Nightbeast, but they could then—finally—follow the cucos back to the den.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
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
Across Silicon Valley, work is being remade as once mellow spaces become dens of din.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2026
In mountainous areas, such as Big Bear, several rattlesnakes will live together in dens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026
Raising their beds off the ground can keep older dogs away from draughts, while cats may like playing or resting in high-up dens or on climbing posts.
From BBC ● Jan. 2, 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
The bears would be hidden away in their dens where they slept soundly all winter long.
From "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder
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
The "crime" of being a mercenary, charged against all 13 defendants, is not denned in Angolan law, but most foreign observers were impressed by at least the surface fairness of the proceedings.
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
“We get 10-20 reports of bears denning under porches every year, and we have never had a negative incident that occurred as a result of this,” Mr. Hawley said.
From New York Times ● Jan. 9, 2023
What researchers do know is that the pups stay with their mothers later into the denning season, shifting pack dynamics.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 6, 2022
They avoided other clumps of blackened trees just in case they stumbled into more holes, but each time Owen saw a burned-out denning site, he felt a pang of sadness.
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.
