What does henhouse mean?
A henhouse is a small building or enclosure where hens are kept. It usually contains nesting boxes, a protected area for sleeping or roosting, and an opening through which the birds can enter and leave. The word is especially common in descriptions of domestic and smallholding arrangements, including backyard chicken keeping. Although chicken coop is a frequent synonym, henhouse is more specific because it identifies the intended occupants as hens rather than poultry generally. A hennery can likewise refer to a place where hens are kept, but it is a much less common word. Henhouse is usually literal and neutral in tone, though its simple compound form gives it a practical, domestic character. The term can also be used figuratively for a small, crowded, intensely domestic space, but that extended meaning is occasional rather than a fully established separate sense. Overall, henhouse is a useful, transparent word for identifying a purpose-built shelter for keeping hens.
nounA small building or enclosure where hens are kept, typically providing shelter, nesting space, and perches. The term is more specific than the general words coop and chicken house.
- A building or enclosure in which hens are kept.
"She collected the fresh eggs while the hens settled in for the night inside the henhouse."
"The old henhouse at the edge of the garden needs a new roof before winter."
"We built a small henhouse so the hens could have shelter away from the weather."
The regular plural is formed by adding -s.
"Several henhouses stand beside the vegetable garden."
The henhouse is the rare noun that tells you its whole story: it is a house for hens.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of henhouse
English formed henhouse by combining hen with house, two elements that descend from Old English henn and hūs. The compound has long referred to a structure intended specifically for keeping hens. Its transparent formation reflects the common English practice of creating compounds that plainly identify the animal, plant, person, or function associated with a building or object.
How henhouse is actually used
The word is ordinary in both British and American English and is often used for a modest backyard structure. In British usage, poultry house may sometimes suggest a larger or more general building for birds.