kennel

¹

[ ken-l ]

noun

1. a house or shelter for a dog or a cat.
2. Often ken·nels. an establishment where dogs or cats are bred, raised, trained, or boarded.
3. the hole or lair of an animal, especially a fox.
4. a wretched abode likened to a doghouse.
5. Rare. a pack of dogs, especially hunting dogs:

   He inherited his love of quail hunting from his father who'd gifted him a kennel of pointers.

verb (used with object)

, ken·neled, ken·nel·ing or (especially British) ken·nelled, ken·nel·ling.

1. to put into or keep in a kennel:

   to kennel a dog for a week.

verb (used without object)

, ken·neled, ken·nel·ing or (especially British) ken·nelled, ken·nel·ling.

1. to take shelter or lodge in a kennel.

kennel

²

[ ken-l ]

noun

1. an open drain or sewer; gutter.

kennel

¹

/ ˈkɛnəl /

noun

1. a hutlike shelter for a dog US namedoghouse
2. usually plural an establishment where dogs are bred, trained, boarded, etc
3. the lair of a fox or other animal
4. a ramshackle house; hovel
5. a pack of hounds

verb

1. to put or go into a kennel; keep or stay in a kennel

kennel

²

/ ˈkɛnəl /

noun

1. archaic.
   an open sewer or street gutter

Word History and Origins

Origin of kennel¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English kenel, from unattested Anglo-French kenil ( French chenil) from unattested Vulgar Latin canīle ( Latin can(is) “dog” + -īle suffix of place)

Origin of kennel²

First recorded in 1575–85; variant of earlier cannel, Middle English canel channel ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of kennel¹

C14: from Old French chenil, from Vulgar Latin canīle (unattested), from Latin canis dog

Origin of kennel²

C16: variant of cannel channel ¹

Example Sentences

After six months at the shelter, he was running back and forth and jumping in his kennel.

From Los Angeles Times

The dog was seized and remains in police kennels.

From BBC

The dog had been secured inside a car by a family member and was later seized by officers who took it to secure kennels.

From BBC

North Yorkshire Police said the animal had been taken to secure kennels where it currently remained.

From BBC

A woman, 30, has been arrested and the dogs are in police kennels.

From BBC

Related Words

• enclosure