den
/den/ (bre, ipa) · [dˈɛn] /den/ (ame, ipa) · [dˈɛn] /ˈden/ (ame, mw)
den — noun
- densingular
- densplural
1. a hidden shelter or resting place where wild animals, especially hunters like be
a hidden shelter or resting place where wild animals, especially hunters like bears, foxes, and lions, live and raise their young
A mother fox led her four cubs back into the den at dusk.
collocation: fox den
Hikers spotted fresh bear tracks near the entrance to a rocky den.
The lioness stayed close to the den while her cubs tumbled over each other.
When winter arrived, the old brown bear disappeared into its den on the hillside.
Kwame crawled through the undergrowth and shone his torch into a narrow den beneath the old tree roots.
2. a cosy room at home, set apart from the busier areas, where people relax, read,
a cosy room at home, set apart from the busier areas, where people relax, read, watch television or spend time on hobbies
After dinner, Jun headed straight to the den to watch the football match.
Amara curled up in the den with a blanket and her favourite novel.
Mum caught Anjali eating noodles on the den sofa and banned all food from the room.
Rohan set up his guitar and amplifier in the bright little den beside the kitchen.
Grandpa spends most evenings in his den, listening to old jazz records.
- study
suggests a room for reading or work, not relaxation
- lounge
a larger shared space, not necessarily cosy or private
- family room
a shared family space, typically larger and more central
用法筆記
More common in American English. In British English this room is usually called a 'family room' or 'living room'.
3. a small hideaway that children build themselves, often outdoors using wood, card
a small hideaway that children build themselves, often outdoors using wood, cardboard, blankets, or branches, for playing and make-believe
Fatima and her brother spent all Saturday morning building a den behind the garage.
collocation: build a den
The three cousins dragged old blankets into the garden to make a secret den.
Dmitri and his dad spent the afternoon hammering planks into a wooden den beside the garden fence.
When it started raining, the children's cardboard den collapsed into a soggy mess.
The best part of summer camp was the den Harriet built from fallen branches.
4. a hidden place where people gather in secret to do things that are against the l
a hidden place where people gather in secret to do things that are against the law, such as selling drugs or storing stolen goods
Police raided an illegal gambling den on the third floor of the old factory.
The basement had been turned into an opium den, according to neighbours.
Detectives followed the suspect to a thieves' den near the docks.
Oluwaseun's investigation exposed a den of smugglers operating out of a fishing hut.
The city council promised to shut down every drug den in the neighbourhood.
用法筆記
Often used in fixed phrases with 'of': 'a den of thieves', 'a den of iniquity', 'a den of vice'.
5. a small unit of Cub Scouts, usually made up of about six to ten children, who me
a small unit of Cub Scouts, usually made up of about six to ten children, who meet regularly as part of the wider scout pack
Siti was proud when her son's den earned a badge for outdoor skills.
The den meets every Tuesday after school in the church hall.
At the first meeting, Mei's den voted to call themselves the Tiger Den and painted a matching banner.
Bjorn volunteered to be the den leader after his daughter joined Cub Scouts.
The den worked together to build a raft for the river race at camp.
den — verb
- denpresent simple I / you / we / they
- dens3rd person singular
- denning-ing form
- dennedpast simple
1. to shelter or rest inside a den, especially for long stretches such as during wi
to shelter or rest inside a den, especially for long stretches such as during winter or the breeding season
The old bear denned high up on the mountain and slept through the cold months.
intransitive: den + location phrase
Foxes often den in abandoned badger setts during the breeding season.
The field team found a pack of wolves that had denned beneath a rocky overhang above the stream.
After the first snowfall, the badger denned deep inside its burrow and stayed hidden for weeks.
- lair
same meaning but used only as a noun, not a verb
文法句型
den + in/at/inside + place
用法筆記
Rare; used mainly in wildlife writing, natural history, and hunting literature.
2. to chase a wild animal into its den and trap it there, especially when hunting w
to chase a wild animal into its den and trap it there, especially when hunting with dogs
The hunting dogs denned the fox after a long chase across the meadow.
transitive: den + animal
The gamekeeper denned the badger by stuffing earth into every bolt-hole until the animal was trapped.
The hounds surrounded the rocky ledge and finally denned the fox inside a narrow crevice.
Local farmers sometimes denned foxes that had been taking their chickens.
文法句型
den + animal
用法筆記
Rare; almost entirely restricted to hunting and field-sports contexts.