From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdenden /den/ noun [countable] 1 HBAthe home of some animals, for example lions or foxes2 a place where secret or illegal activities take place corrupt gambling dens a den of thieves3 SSCSECRETan enclosed and secret place where children play4 especially American EnglishDH a room in a house where people relax, watch television etc5 DH British English old-fashioned a small room in a house where people can work, read etc without being interrupted Father retreated to his den.6 → den of iniquity
Examples from the Corpus
den• Joyce explained to Paul in a very loud voice that her den was this way.• The family moved on past their old den, over the bank and out of sight.• an opium den• Fifteen men stood silent, with their heads bowed, moments before entering the lion's den.• She was shaking with the cold, but the fire in the den had been irritating and overbearing.• Instead, he said, they toted their shotguns inside the mansion, burst into the den, and emptied their weapons.• They hoped for a home theater and a showcase kitchen blending seamlessly into their den.• Skunks roll out of their dens in February or March and embark on a long prowl.Origin den Old English denn 