Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

hen do

American  
[hen doo] / ˈhɛn ˌdu /

noun

British, Australian Informal.
  1. hen party.


Etymology

Origin of hen do

First recorded in 1995–2000; hen ( def. ) + do 1 ( def. ) (in the informal sense “festive social gathering”)

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.

Boon had been on a long weekend hen do in Milan with five others before her airport ordeal.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Mrs Maxwell went to Benidorm in Spain for a hen do with a group of friends on 28 April 2017.

From BBC • Aug. 19, 2018

I wanted to make a show that harnessed that gloriously awkward feeling that comes from seeing someone fail so badly that it ruins someone’s hen do.

From The Guardian • Oct. 6, 2015

So too was the procession of women, no doubt feeling the effects of the previous night's hen do, grimly lining up to avoid catching the bouquet.

From The Guardian • Apr. 27, 2013

Those, sir, are modeled on the State-House in Paris, and are intended to shelter the youthful damsels, here assembled, as the wings of a hen do the chickens of her bosom—hem!

From The Last of the Foresters Or, Humors on the Border; A story of the Old Virginia Frontier by Cooke, John Esten

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "hen do" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com