a dog kennel

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A small shelter or house for a dog, usually with a roof and an opening for the dog to go in and out.

   Grammar: Countable: a dog kennel, two dog kennels. Often used with in or into when talking about where the dog stays.

   Patterns

   • keep a dog in a kennel
   • a dog kennel in the yard

   We built a wooden dog kennel in the backyard so our dog could sleep outside.

   The dog ran into its kennel when it started to rain.

   Make sure the dog kennel is warm and dry in winter.

2. 2nouncountable

   A place where dogs are cared for or bred, especially while their owners are away.

   Grammar: Often used in the plural, kennels, to mean the whole business or place.

   Patterns

   • put a dog in kennels
   • a boarding kennel

   We left our dog at a dog kennel while we were on vacation.

   The dog kennel looks after about twenty animals at a time.

   She works at a dog kennel on weekends.

Word forms

Common combinations

a wooden dog kennel

They bought a wooden dog kennel for the garden.

a dog kennel in the yard

There is a dog kennel in the yard behind the house.

put a dog in a kennel

We had to put the dog in a kennel for the weekend.

a boarding kennel

The boarding kennel takes care of dogs while owners travel.

Synonyms and how they differ

doghouse

A doghouse is usually a small shelter for one dog in a yard; a kennel can also mean a larger business.

kennels

In British English, kennels often means the whole place or business where dogs are kept.

Word family

kennel noun

The base word for any shelter or place where dogs are kept.

Commonly confused: a dog kennel or kernel?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “a dog kennel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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