dens
Americannoun
plural
dentesEtymology
Origin of dens
< Latin dēns; tooth
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.
But a century after the term first emerged to describe the clandestine drinking dens of Prohibition, its meaning has blurred.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 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 hefty price of color camouflage may explain why many octopuses spend so much time hiding in dens, and why deep-sea octopuses—who live in extremely dark waters—have less vibrant chromatophore systems, the researchers suggest.
From Science Magazine • Nov. 17, 2024
Older brothers and sisters often stood lookout near dens, and parents never let their babies wander far.
From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate
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.
