fen1

 
Pronunciation: /fɛn/

noun

  • a low and marshy or frequently flooded area of land: a native species of fens and damp meadows [mass noun]: 55 acres of fen
  • (the Fens) the flat low-lying areas of eastern England, mainly in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk, formerly marshland but largely drained for agriculture since the 17th century.
  • [mass noun] Ecology wetland with alkaline, neutral, or only slightly acid peaty soil. Compare with bog.

Derivatives

fenny

adjective

Origin:

Old English fen(n), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch veen and German Fenn