kennel

¹ American  

[ken-l] / ˈkɛn l /

noun

1. a house or shelter for a dog or a cat.

2. Often kennels an establishment where dogs or cats are bred, raised, trained, or boarded.

3. the hole or lair of an animal, especially a fox.

4. a wretched abode likened to a doghouse.

5. 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.

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verb (used with object)

kenneled, kenneling, kennelled, kennelling

1. to put into or keep in a kennel.

   to kennel a dog for a week.

verb (used without object)

kenneled, kenneling, kennelled, kennelling

1. to take shelter or lodge in a kennel.

kennel ² American  

[ken-l] / ˈkɛn l /

noun

1. an open drain or sewer; gutter.

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kennel ¹ British  

/ ˈkɛnəl /

noun

1. US name: doghouse.  a hutlike shelter for a dog

2. (usually plural) an establishment where dogs are bred, trained, boarded, etc

3. the lair of a fox or other animal

4. a ramshackle house; hovel

5. a pack of hounds

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verb

1. to put or go into a kennel; keep or stay in a kennel

kennel ² British  

/ ˈkɛnəl /

noun

1. archaic an open sewer or street gutter

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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."

Example Sentences

It has attracted 4,299 overseas entries -- the highest in the event's history -- with France leading the international contingent with 538 dogs, according to The Kennel Club.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

Earlier this week, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show — one of the most prestigious events in the dog world — crowned its latest Best in Show winner, Penny, a Doberman pinscher.

From Salon • Feb. 8, 2026

For decades, many scientists assumed that most dog diversity resulted from recent selective breeding practices that emerged with Victorian Kennel Clubs.

From Science Daily • Jan. 6, 2026

For 31 years Labradors topped the American Kennel Club’s purebred rankings, which are based on more than one million annual registrations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

“Back to work,” Mr. Kennel shouted, and the room fell quiet.

From "Worth" by A. LaFaye

Related Words

• enclosure