hen and chickens
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
In Christian art this de- vice is emblematical of God's providence. See Matt, xxiii, 37. See also GREY HEN above.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “hen and chickens” mean?
In Christian art this de- vice is emblematical of God's providence. See Matt, xxiii, 37. See also GREY HEN above.
Is “hen and chickens” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.