Kennel

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈkɛ.nəl/

Definitions

1. A shelter or housing structure designed for dogs, typically used for boarding or breeding purposes
2. A type of structure specifically built to provide shelter for dogs, frequently utilized for temporary boarding or breeding activities
3. An enclosure intended for the safe and comfortable housing of dogs, often serving the needs of breeding or boarding facilities

Etymology: The surprising part is that "kennel" once meant a gutter. The modern dog-house sense came from a different word entirely, which began with the Latin for "dog." Middle English "kenel" was borrowed from Anglo-Norman, a northern variant of Old French "chenil," which descended from Vulgar Latin "canīle," itself built on Latin "canis," meaning dog. So the word's core has always pointed at dogs, and the shelter sense was there from the start. Its homonym has a separate and much older lineage. Middle English "canel" came from Old French "canel," from Latin "canālis," meaning channel or canal. That Latin word derived from "canna," meaning reed, which passed into Latin from Ancient Greek "kánna," and ultimately from Akkadian "qanû," also meaning reed. The gutter sense and the channel sense are the same ancient idea: a hollow tube, like a reed, carrying water. The two words grew together in English spelling and sound, and today only the dog-house sense survives in common use. The verb sense, to house or keep dogs, follows naturally from the noun.

Synonyms: doghouse, shelter