kennel

1 of 3

noun (1)

ken·​nel ˈke-nᵊl How to pronounce kennel (audio)
1
a
: a shelter for a dog or cat
b
: an establishment for the breeding or boarding of dogs or cats
2
: a pack of dogs

kennel

2 of 3

verb

kenneled or kennelled; kenneling or kennelling

transitive verb

: to put or keep in or as if in a kennel

intransitive verb

: to take shelter in or as if in a kennel

kennel

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a gutter in a street

Examples of kennel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The only pets that should be left unattended are those kept in a kennel with a covered top. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024 However, after a short period of time, these shelter dogs found themselves back in their kennels. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024 Reg likes to get pets and sleep in his small dog kennel that Friends for Life's foster mom turned into a cozy special cat space just for him. The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 The Arizona Humane Society is set to open a new shelter and hospital facility in Phoenix, expanding the shelter's veterinary hospital services as well as kennel capacity to serve the Valley 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Lux Butler, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2024 There are only 30 dog kennels in the shelter, despite Evansville having a population of around 117,000, WEVV reported. Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024 King, a husky brought into the Lost Our Home Pet Rescue in Tempe, Ariz., escaped his kennel and made a mess in their office. Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024 Alarmed at the high rate of euthanasia at its two Antelope Valley shelters, L.A. County is moving to add kennels and revisit policies on putting dogs down. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2023 Lancaster has only 176 dog kennels, but from October to December of 2023, an average of 821 dogs came in each month, making euthanasia for space a regular occurrence, even among highly adoptable, healthy, social dogs. Michelle Madden, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2024
Verb
Rodriguez, the department’s deputy director, said Tundra could not be kenneled with other dogs and the shelter was full, so he was euthanized. Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2023 Considering an outbreak can last six months after the first sign of outbreak, those who plan to kennel their dogs during the holiday season are encouraged to vaccinate their dogs as soon as possible. Tony Holt, Arkansas Online, 9 July 2023 Cases of the canine flu have been reported in Central Arkansas, and veterinarians recommend vaccinating dogs most at risk -- those that are kenneled, left at doggie day care, brought to dog shows or groomed at facilities with other dogs. Tony Holt, Arkansas Online, 9 July 2023 Let the pointers work the big country and then kennel them up and let your crazy dog work the leftover heavy cover. Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 4 Dec. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kennel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English kenel, from Anglo-French *kenil, from Vulgar Latin *canile, from Latin canis dog — more at hound

Noun (2)

alteration of cannel gutter

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1552, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kennel was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near kennel

Cite this Entry

“Kennel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kennel. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

kennel

1 of 2 noun
ken·​nel ˈken-ᵊl How to pronounce kennel (audio)
1
: a shelter for a dog
2
: a place where dogs or cats are bred or housed

kennel

2 of 2 verb
kenneled or kennelled; kenneling or kennelling
: to put or keep in a kennel

More from Merriam-Webster on kennel

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