warren

Everyday

1. A group of connected underground holes and tunnels where rabbits live. tree →
2. A building or area with many narrow, confusing passages or small rooms: "a warren of little streets". tree →
3. (a name) Warren is also a boy's first name and a family name. tree →

In the lessons

In nature lessons a warren is a rabbit's home, with burrows linking many tunnels. In stories like "Watership Down" the rabbits leave their warren to find a new one. Describing a building as "a warren" tells the reader it is easy to get lost in. Phrases: rabbit warren, a warren of tunnels, a warren of streets.

Examples

• The rabbits ran back into their warren. tree →
• A warren can have dozens of tunnels and exits. tree →
• The old school was a warren of corridors. tree →
• The town centre is a warren of narrow lanes. tree →
• In the book, the rabbits search for a safe new warren. tree →
• Our neighbour's name is Warren. tree →
• He went and made a present of these to the King, as he had done before of the rabbit which he took in the warren. tree →

Note

Countable: a warren, warrens. The name Warren has a capital letter. The holes are burrows; the whole system is the warren. Badgers live in a sett, not a warren; foxes in a den or earth.