Meaning & use
hen night
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Meaning
nouncountableBritishinformal
A party or outing for a woman who is about to get married, attended by her female friends and relatives.
Grammar: Has a plural: hen nights. Usually with for or on: a hen night for Sarah, on her hen night.
Patterns
- a hen night for someone
- go on a hen night
We booked a cabin by the lake for Emma's hen night.
Her hen night was a quiet dinner followed by a cooking class.
The bridesmaids spent weeks planning the hen night.
Word forms
| plural | hen nights |
|---|
Common combinations
- organize a hen night
- Her sister organized a hen night in Brighton.
- on someone's hen night
- On her hen night she wore a sparkly sash.
- a hen night weekend
- They spent a hen night weekend at a spa.
- plan a hen night
- We need to plan the hen night before the wedding invitations go out.
- a hen night outfit
- They all wore matching hen night outfits.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hen party
- Hen party is almost identical, though it can suggest a longer or daytime event, while hen night suggests an evening.
- hen do
- Hen do is the most informal and casual of the three.
- bachelorette party
- Bachelorette party is the American equivalent and is not used in the British sense.
- bridal shower
- A bridal shower is a gift-giving party, usually in the US, and is less about nightlife than a hen night.
Word family
- stag night noun
- the equivalent party for the groom
- hen party noun
- a party for the bride-to-be and her friends
- hen noun
- a female chicken, and informally a woman
Commonly confused: hen night or stag night?
hen night vs stag night
A stag night is the groom's party, while a hen night is for the bride.
Practice
In British English, a hen night is a party held before a wedding for ____.
Choose one answer.
A hen night is for the bride-to-be and her friends. The groom's equivalent is a stag night.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hen night”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.