A den is a cozy room in a house where people relax, read, watch television, or spend quiet time together as a family. Unlike a formal living room where you might entertain guests, a den feels comfortable and lived-in, with soft furniture, bookshelves, and personal touches. You might curl up in your family's den with a blanket and a good book, or gather there on movie night.

The word comes from the idea of an animal's den: a hidden, protected space where creatures like bears, foxes, or wolves rest and raise their young. A bear's den might be a cave or hollow tree where it hibernates through the winter. A fox's den is an underground burrow where baby foxes stay safe.

When kids build a secret hideout using blankets and pillows, they sometimes call it a den too. The word captures that feeling of a safe, enclosed space that belongs to you, whether you're a bear in the woods or a kid under the dining room table.