1
: the lair of a wild usually predatory animal
2
a(1)
: a hollow or cavern used especially as a hideout
(2)
: a center of secret activity
b
: a small usually squalid dwelling
3
: a comfortable usually secluded room
4
: a subdivision of a Cub Scout pack made up of two or more boys
5
British
: a small structure built by children as a place to play, hide, or provide shelter
We roamed the fields and made dens in the hedges, dragging old logs and brushwood with scraps of canvas and rope to make shelters to hide in.—
Pat Smith
Pat Smith
denned; denning
: to live in or retire to a den
polar bears den in ice caves or snowdrifts
: to drive into a den
Denmark
Examples of den in a Sentence
Noun
The bears will spend most of the winter in their den.
The TV is in the den.
He spent most evenings in the den reading and smoking his pipe.
Recent Examples on the Web
Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
Julian’s quest for answers will only lure him deeper into this den of vipers, but teasing out Sofia’s intentions may be the steamiest — and deadliest — game of all.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
Rebecca Shinners, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2024
Ringed seals, polar bears' primary source of prey, need adequate snow depth to successfully den and protect their young in the springtime.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for den 
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Noun
The brothers gunned down their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, with 14 shots as the couple sat watching TV in the den of their Beverly Hills home on August 20, 1989.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024
Julian’s quest for answers will only lure him deeper into this den of vipers, but teasing out Sofia’s intentions may be the steamiest — and deadliest — game of all.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
Wet bars are often nooks in a living room, dining room, library, or den versus being separate rooms of their own, adds Leah O’Connell, principal designer at Leah O’Connell Design in San Anselmo, California.
—Rebecca Shinners, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2024
Ringed seals, polar bears' primary source of prey, need adequate snow depth to successfully den and protect their young in the springtime.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 13 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for den
Dictionary Entries Near den
Cite this Entry
“Den.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/den. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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