Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

wen

1 American  
[wen] / wɛn /

noun

  1. Pathology. a benign encysted tumor of the skin, especially on the scalp, containing sebaceous matter; a sebaceous cyst.

  2. British. a large, crowded city or a crowded urban district.

    London is the great wen of England.
wen 2 American  
[wen] / wɛn /

noun

  1. wynn.

wen 1 British  
/ wɛn /

noun

  1. pathol a sebaceous cyst, esp one occurring on the scalp

  2. a large overcrowded city (esp London in the phrase the great wen )

"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
wen 2 British  
/ wɛn /

noun

  1. a rune having the sound of Modern English w

"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 wen

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English wenn; cognate with Dutch wen

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.

The officials were questioned about their claims after journalists wen to look at jail records and found that the overwhelming majority of people arrested in connection to the unrest in Minneapolis had Minnesota addresses.

From Slate • May 31, 2020

Streak of Luck wen to the lead with Toinette in a comfortable second spot.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2019

It seems a given that Bryant, who threw for 272 yards two TDs wen Clemson beat the Gamecocks 34-10 in 2017, would look to follow Tagovailoa’s game plan against South Carolina.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 17, 2019

Elsewhere, military art troupes, or wen yi bing, have been given a public dressing down by President Xi Jinping over a string of recent scandals involving high-profile entertainers exploiting privileges and profiteering.

From BBC • Aug. 28, 2013

“Wen, wen, wen, so you’ve been fora gin’ with that rascal!

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

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.