den

adv

1. Pronunciation spelling of then, representing AAVE, Bermuda English.

name

Etymology: Shortening.

1. A diminutive of the male given name Dennis.

noun

1. Alternative form of dene.

verb

Etymology: From Middle English den, from Old English denn (“den, lair (of a beast), cave; a swine-pasture, a woodland pasture for swine”), from Proto-West Germanic *dani (“threshing-floor, barn-floor”). Cognate with Scots den (“den, lair”), Middle Dutch denne (“burrow, den, cave, attic”), Dutch den (“ship's deck, threshing-floor, mountain floor”), Middle Low German denne, danne (“threshing-floor, small dale”), German Tenne (“threshing-floor, barn for threshing”).

1. To ensconce or hide oneself in (or as in) a den.
2. Of an animal, to use as a den; to take up residence in.

   “Although present in virtually all habitats, it preferred to den in caves, so its distribution, especially in cold, northern areas, may have been limited to limestone and other rocky regions where caves form.”

   ““Denning” – behaviour around making dens – has changed and bears are swimming long distances, but, says Aars, there is still enough sea ice in the spring for the bears to hunt successfully.”