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

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

Jordan Adams, as it happened, was exactly the fox they wanted to eject from their own henhouse.

From Salon • Oct. 10, 2023

It includes a henhouse; a couple of fenced pastures; six beehives each housing 60,000-80,000 bees; and many meticulously maintained beds where countless vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs thrive.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 18, 2023

PPS Great-Uncle Jim’s henhouse works just fine for his chickens.

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