Dictionary.com

kennel

1
[ ken-l ]
/ ˈkɛn l /
Save This Word!

noun
verb (used with object), ken·neled, ken·nel·ing or (especially British) ken·nelled, ken·nel·ling.
to put into or keep in a kennel: to kennel a dog for a week.
verb (used without object), ken·neled, ken·nel·ing or (especially British) ken·nelled, ken·nel·ling.
to take shelter or lodge in a kennel.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

Origin of kennel

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English kenel, from unattested Anglo-French kenil, from French chenil or directly from unattested Vulgar Latin canīle (Latin can(is) “dog” + -īle suffix of place)

Other definitions for kennel (2 of 2)

kennel2
[ ken-l ]
/ ˈkɛn l /

noun
an open drain or sewer; gutter.

Origin of kennel

2
1575–85; variant of cannel,Middle English canelchannel1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use kennel in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for kennel (1 of 2)

kennel1
/ (ˈkɛnəl) /

noun
a hutlike shelter for a dogUS name: doghouse
(usually plural) an establishment where dogs are bred, trained, boarded, etc
the lair of a fox or other animal
a ramshackle house; hovel
a pack of hounds
verb -nels, -nelling or -nelled or US -nels, -neling or -neled
to put or go into a kennel; keep or stay in a kennel

Word Origin for kennel

C14: from Old French chenil, from Vulgar Latin canīle (unattested), from Latin canis dog

British Dictionary definitions for kennel (2 of 2)

kennel2
/ (ˈkɛnəl) /

noun
archaic an open sewer or street gutter

Word Origin for kennel

C16: variant of cannel channel 1
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
FEEDBACK