fen

¹

[ fen ]

noun

1. low land covered wholly or partially with water; boggy land; a marsh.
2. the Fens, a marshy region W and S of The Wash, in E England.

fen

²

[ fen ]

noun

, plural fen.

1. an aluminum coin and monetary unit of the People's Republic of China, the hundredth part of a yuan or the tenth part of a jiao.

fen

¹

/ fɛn /

noun

1. low-lying flat land that is marshy or artificially drained

fen

²

/ fɛn /

noun

1. a monetary unit of the People's Republic of China, worth one hundredth of a yuan

Word History and Origins

Origin of fen¹

before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old Norse fen quagmire, Gothic fani mud, Dutch ven, German Fenn fen, bog

Origin of fen²

First recorded in 1905–10, fen is from the Chinese word fēn

Word History and Origins

Origin of fen¹

Old English fenn ; related to Old High German fenna , Old Norse fen , Gothic fani clay, Sanskrit panka mud

Origin of fen²

from Mandarin Chinese

Example Sentences

Dr Dilley said the heritage of the Stanwick Lakes site is important due to its links to other well-known Bronze Age sites such as Flag Fen and the Must Farm settlement - which was dubbed Britain's Pompeii due to the preservation of its artefacts.

From BBC

Years of research conducted on thousands of artefacts from the site have now shown that early Fen folk had surprisingly comfortable lifestyles, with domestic layouts similar to modern homes, meals of "honey-glazed venison" and clothes of fine flax linen, and even a recycling bin.

From Science Daily

The owner of the common, Fen Reeves, said it had been in touch with concerned residents and the issues raised had been discussed.

From BBC

The Fen yew woodlands suddenly died about 4,200 years ago, when the trees fell into peat and were preserved until today.

From Science Daily

Given that most of the Fens are barely above sea level, about 4,200 years ago, a sudden rise in sea level most likely killed the Fen woodlands.

From Science Daily