kennel
1 Americannoun
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a house or shelter for a dog or a cat.
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Often kennels an establishment where dogs or cats are bred, raised, trained, or boarded.
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the hole or lair of an animal, especially a fox.
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a wretched abode likened to a doghouse.
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Rare. a pack of dogs, especially hunting dogs.
He inherited his love of quail hunting from his father who'd gifted him a kennel of pointers.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
noun
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US name: doghouse. a hutlike shelter for a dog
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(usually plural) an establishment where dogs are bred, trained, boarded, etc
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the lair of a fox or other animal
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a ramshackle house; hovel
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a pack of hounds
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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kennelsimple
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kennelssimple
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have kenneledperfect
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have kennelledperfect
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has kenneledperfect
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has kennelledperfect
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am kennelingprogressive
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am kennellingprogressive
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are kennelingprogressive
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are kennellingprogressive
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is kennelingprogressive
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is kennellingprogressive
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have been kennelingperfect progressive
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have been kennellingperfect progressive
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has been kennelingperfect progressive
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has been kennellingperfect progressive
Past
-
kenneledsimple
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kennelledsimple
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had kenneledperfect
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had kennelledperfect
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was kennelingprogressive
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was kennellingprogressive
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were kennelingprogressive
-
were kennellingprogressive
-
had been kennelingperfect progressive
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had been kennellingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of kennel1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English kenel, from unattested Anglo-French kenil ( French chenil) from unattested Vulgar Latin canīle ( Latin can(is) “dog” + -īle suffix of place)
Origin of kennel2
First recorded in 1575–85; variant of earlier cannel, Middle English canel channel 1
Explanation
A kennel is a structure or business that houses animals, particularly dogs and cats. You might leave your dog at a kennel while you go on vacation. You might have a small kennel for your dog in your backyard, or have your pet groomed or boarded at a professional kennel. Some kennels are kept for breeding animals — when you buy a puppy from a breeder, you might pick him up at a kennel. The word kennel, by way of the Anglo-French kenil, and the Vulgar Latin canile, has its roots in the Latin canis, or "dog."
Vocabulary lists containing kennel
Dog Vocabulary: A Canine Lexicon
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The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl
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A Boy Called Bat
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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.
See Examples For:
Videos posted online showed one dog, Cash, trembling in his kennel.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
When I sent a picture of the economy-pod setup, more than a few friends said it looked like a dog kennel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026
Every kennel here is full when we visit and many of them are covered by screens, because some of the dogs are so volatile our presence could provoke them.
From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026
It was unclear why the card on the outside of Valerio’s kennel, which notes behavior problems for staffers and volunteers, didn’t include his bite history, Wright’s attorneys said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2026
Abby led Fred back to the kennel he shared with a dozen other dogs, including, of course, Cha-Cha.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
Evidence from his son's cell phone indicated, however, that Murdaugh was the only person with his wife and son at the estate's dog kennels several minutes before they were killed.
From Barron's ● May 13, 2026
Sri Lanka's police kennels department was mobilised to ensure that local street dogs did not attack Aloka, who was led on a leash held by an army commando.
From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026
Dogs at the Chesterfield Square animal shelter have been kept inside their kennels for three weeks due to a giardia outbreak.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
Dogs seized because of a criminal allegation - where owners have breached exemptions or the animal has been involved in an attack - must remain in the kennels until criminal proceedings are concluded.
From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026
Then she leashed Fred and Chico and escorted them out of the kennels.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
Experts might call that a good thing, since most rescues work with fosters, and it's healthier for adoptable felines to be cared for in private home settings than kenneled for long periods.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2024
Shelter staff had recommended in his file that he be placed in a home with no other dogs, though Benavidez saw him kenneled with another dog in the shelter with no apparent issues.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2023
The prison authorities let them keep the dog kenneled in their cell as part of a program in which they train the animal for later use as a service dogs for disabled people.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 31, 2018
“He’s not getting the treatment he needs. He’s being kenneled like an animal.”
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 3, 2014
It was known that Queen Wetamoo was with Canonchet, but not certainly that King Philip had "kenneled" there.
From Boys' Book of Indian Warriors and Heroic Indian Women by Sabin, Edwin L. (Edwin Legrand)
After 40 years in captivity they kept their spirits up by caring for a dog kennelled in their cell which they trained to work with vulnerable individuals.
From The Guardian ● May 25, 2019
I omitted to mention in the proper place to accustom your pups to the same food as when kennelled they will get.
From The Dog by Dinks
From the janitor he obtained their present address, and the appearance of his broad shoulders and fearless face had a restraining influence on the mischief-making propensities of the rowdies who kennelled in the vicinity.
From Without a Home by Roe, Edward Payson
Had seen thee sooner, lad," he exclaimed, after a rough shake of the hand, and a hearty welcome to Osbaldistone Hall, "but had to see the hounds kennelled first.
From Rob Roy — Volume 01 by Scott, Walter, Sir
In Anglesey he built a castle, and kennelled the hounds he loved so well in a church, to find them all mad the next morning.
From Mediæval Wales Chiefly in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries: Six Popular Lectures by Little, A. G. (Andrew George)
He envisions having informational screenings playing in the waiting room, building on awareness programs the community is already doing on best practices like leashing and kenneling to keep pets from harm.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 27, 2021
Contains chapters on the history and development of the breed, selection of dog, breeding, kenneling, and training.
From Taxidermy by Pray, Leon Luther
His book discusses types, methods of training, kenneling, diseases and all the other practical points relating to the use and care of the hound.
From Reading the Weather by Longstreth, Thomas Morris
The author takes up the origin and history of the breed, its development, breeding, kenneling, and training.
From Taxidermy by Pray, Leon Luther
It was a snug, well-protected kenneling place, surrounded by the swamp.
From Boys' Book of Frontier Fighters by Sabin, Edwin L. (Edwin Legrand)
"We have police struggling to enforce and respond to dog incidents, huge delays getting to court costing hundreds of thousands in kennelling and police costs," she says.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2025
Fincham was ordered to pay £3,680 in total, including a £2,000 contribution to kennelling costs, a fine of £961 and £200 compensation to Mr Sudell.
From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2025
Courts can order that police be repaid for costs caused by kennelling dogs seized in connection with a hare coursing-related offence.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2022
They had thought that fifteen people might attend, to see their demonstration of a lion-proof enclosure made with kennelling materials available at Home Depot.
From The New Yorker ● Feb. 5, 2017
The kennelling for the poor animals was got up under the supervision of Ap and Seth himself.
From Wild Adventures round the Pole The Cruise of the "Snowbird" Crew in the "Arrandoon" by Stables, Gordon
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.
