Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Hen
Hen
,Noun.
[AS.
henn
, hen
, hæn
; akin to D. hen
, OHG. henna
, G. henne
, Icel. h[GREEK]na
, Dan. höna
; the fem. corresponding to AS. hana
cock, D. haan
, OHG. hano
, G. hahn
, Icel. hani
, Dan. & Sw. hane
. Prob. akin to L. canere
to sing, and orig. meaning, a singer. Cf. Chanticleer
.] (Zool.)
The female of the domestic fowl; also, the female of grouse, pheasants, or any kind of birds;
as, the heath
hen
; the gray hen
.☞ Used adjectively or in combination to indicate the female; as, hen canary, hen eagle, hen turkey, peahen.
Hen clam
. (Zool.)
(a)
A clam of the
Mactra
, and allied genera; the sea clam or surf clam. See Surf clam
. (b)
A California clam of the genus
– Pachydesma
. Hen driver
. See
– Hen harrier
(below). Hen harrier
(Zool.)
, a hawk (
– Circus cyaneus
), found in Europe and America; – called also dove hawk
, henharm
, henharrow
, hen driver
, and usually, in America, marsh hawk
. See Marsh hawk
. Hen hawk
(Zool.)
, one of several species of large hawks which capture hens; esp., the American red-tailed hawk (
Buteo borealis
), the red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus
), and the goshawk.Webster 1828 Edition
Hen
HEN
,Noun.