Synonyms

henhouse

American

[hen-hous] / ˈhɛnˌhaʊs /

noun

plural

henhouses

a shelter for poultry.

henhouse British

/ ˈhɛnˌhaʊs /

noun

a coop for hens

"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 henhouse

First recorded in 1505–15; hen + house

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.

Is this a fox in the henhouse scenario, they ask?

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Therein lies what might be “Anniversary’s” biggest warning: Don’t let the fox into the henhouse, even if it seems rude not to.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2025

It is relevant because trusting the very agency that has been responsible for the myriad problems plaguing Arizona’s death-penalty system is a classic instance of letting the fox guard the henhouse.

From Slate • Jan. 14, 2025

Public outcry around the report likens a Pentagon self-investigation to charging the fox to guard the henhouse.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2024

What I really wanted most of all was to shut them all up in the henhouse until I knew it was safe for them to come out again.

From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023