marsh hen

American

noun

any of various rails or raillike birds.

marsh hen British

noun

any bird that frequents marshes and swamps, esp a rail, coot, or gallinule

"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 marsh hen

An Americanism dating back to 1700–10

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.

It is separated from the main land by a scarcely perceptible creek, oozing its way through a wilderness of reeds and slime, a favorite resort of the marsh hen.

From The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 1 by Willis, Nathaniel Parker

It is separated from the mainland by a scarcely perceptible creek, oozing its way through a wilderness of reeds and slime, a favorite resort of the marsh hen.

From The Lock and Key Library The most interesting stories of all nations: American by Hawthorne, Julian

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