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# hen

noun (hen, hens)

«hen» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A hen is a female chicken, a farm bird that lays eggs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hen/#m1)
2. A hen can also be the female of some other birds, like a hen pheasant. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hen/#m2)
3. A hen party, or hen night, is a party for a woman before her wedding. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hen/#m3)

### In the lessons

Animals counted; eggs laid per hen per day (a rate); two legs each. In science: hens lay eggs; a chick hatches after about 21 days; the male is a rooster or cockerel. In stories: The Little Red Hen, Chicken Little. Phrases: «hen house», «mother hen», «as rare as hen's teeth».

### Examples

- Each hen lays 1 egg a day. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hen/#x1)
- The farmer has 12 hens. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hen/#x2)
- How many eggs in a week? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hen/#x3)
- Hens and cows have 40 legs in all. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hen/#x4)
- The hen sat on her eggs to keep them warm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hen/#x5)
- We collected eggs from the hen house. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hen/#x6)
- The little red hen asked who would help her. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hen/#x7)
- A hen has two legs and two wings. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hen/#x8)
- THE HEN THAT LAYS GOLDEN EGGS. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hen/#x9)

### Note

«Each hen lays» is a rate: hens × eggs per hen × days. A week is 7 days. Trap: a hen has 2 legs, a cow 4 — in leg puzzles they are not the same. A hen is female, a rooster (cock) is male, a chick is a baby.

## In Jewish tradition

Here "Hen" is a man's name, Hen son of Zephaniah, not a bird.

**Interpretation.** In Zechariah, crowns are kept in the Temple as a reminder of those who brought gifts. Some commentators say Hen is another name for Josiah, though this is uncertain.

### Examples

- And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, as a memorial in the temple of the LORD. (Prophets ZEC.6.14, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/H/hen/#x1)

### Note

«Each hen lays» is a rate: hens × eggs per hen × days. A week is 7 days. Trap: a hen has 2 legs, a cow 4 — in leg puzzles they are not the same. A hen is female, a rooster (cock) is male, a chick is a baby.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «hen» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/hen/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«hen» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/hen.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «hen» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/H/hen/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«hen» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/hen.html) on Mova free.