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Synonyms

den

1 American  
[den] / dɛn /

noun

  1. the lair or shelter of a wild animal, especially a predatory mammal.

  2. a room, often secluded, in a house or apartment, designed to provide a quiet, comfortable, and informal atmosphere for conversation, reading, writing, etc.

  3. a cave used as a place of shelter or concealment.

  4. a squalid or vile abode or place.

    dens of misery.

  5. one of the units of a cub scout pack, analogous to a patrol in the Boy Scouts.

verb (used with object)

denned, denning

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

  2. to kill (an animal) inside its den.

verb (used without object)

denned, denning

  1. to live in or as if in a den.

Den. 2 American  

abbreviation

  1. Denmark.

den 1 British  
/ dɛn /

noun

  1. the habitat or retreat of a lion or similar wild animal; lair

  2. a small or secluded room in a home, often used for carrying on a hobby

  3. a squalid or wretched room or retreat

  4. a site or haunt

    a den of vice

  5. a small wooded valley; dingle

  6. dialect a place of sanctuary in certain catching games; home or base

"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

verb

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

"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
Den. 2 British  

abbreviation

  1. 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

Etymology

Origin of den

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

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.

It is thought the fox chose to create a den on one of the the islands there because it gives her cubs greater security.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

"Surface freshwater, Stegodon and Homo floresiensis all decline at the same time, showing the compounding effects of ecological stress," UOW Honorary Fellow Dr. Gert van den Berg said.

From Science Daily • Feb. 19, 2026

“Our first priority is to accelerate growth, funded by stepped up productivity and operating model changes that will involve a significant cost intervention over the next two years,” Van den Brink said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

"We remain prudent in our near-term expectations for beer market conditions," chief executive Dolf van den Brink said in a statement.

From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026

Maya-Jade was quiet as they took their pizza and drinks onto the big L-shaped couch in the den and pulled up the movie on the TV.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

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.