Meaning & use
den
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Meanings
nouncountable
The hidden home of a wild animal such as a fox, bear or lion.
Grammar: Countable: a fox's den, bear dens.
Patterns
- a den of something
- the den of an animal
The bear slept through winter in its den.
Wolf cubs stay in the den for their first weeks.
The hunters found the fox's den beneath a fallen tree.
nouncountableAmerican
A small, comfortable room in a house used for relaxing, reading or watching television.
Grammar: Countable and mainly American in this sense.
Patterns
- in the den
- a cozy den
We watched the football game in the den.
He keeps his books and old records in the den.
The kids spent the rainy afternoon playing in the den.
nouncountabledisapproving
A secret or hidden place where people meet to do something bad or illegal.
Grammar: Countable and usually followed by of: a den of thieves.
Patterns
- a den of something
Police raided the den of thieves on Friday night.
The old warehouse was a gambling den.
Critics called the club a den of vice.
Word forms
| plural | dens |
|---|
Common combinations
- a bear's den
- A bear's den is usually in a cave or hollow log.
- a den of thieves
- The tavern was said to be a den of thieves.
- a lions' den
- He walked into the lions' den to confront his critics.
- in the den
- Dad is reading in the den.
- a gambling den
- The police shut down an illegal gambling den.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lair
- Lair is a wild animal's hiding place and sounds more dramatic or threatening than den.
- burrow
- A burrow is a hole dug by a small animal, while a den may be natural and can hold larger animals.
- study
- A study is a room for work or reading, and den is more casual and cozy.
- hideout
- A hideout is any place to hide, often for criminals, with no animal link.
Word family
Commonly confused: den or dean?
den vs dean
A dean is a senior official at a college, and the word sounds different from den.
Practice
The family spent the evening in the ___ watching a movie.
Choose one answer.
In an American home, the den is a cozy room for relaxing. Lair, burrow and nest describe animal homes and do not suit a family room.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “den”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.