coven

C3O1V4E1N1
/ˈkʌv.ən/

noun

A nunnery, a convent.

OriginMiddle English covent ← Anglo-Norman covent, cuvent ← Old French covent →
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

coven1

nouncoven (plural covens)

plural covens

  1. A nunnery, a convent.
  2. obsoleteA confederacy or band of people.
  3. A formal group or assembly of witches.

    A coven of witches is traditionally composed of thirteen members of either sex, with one of them acting as officer or priest.

    1965, Attila Zohar, Kings Cross Black Magic, Sydney: Horwitz Publications, page 71
  4. In fantasy fiction, a family, group or assembly of vampires.
  5. A clique that shares common interests or activities.

    “This is a very African area”, he said as they maneuvered their way among the covens of menacing children gathered in the halls.

    1986, David Leavitt, The Lost Language of Cranes (paperback), Penguin, page 12

Coven2

proper noun
  1. A village in Brewood and Coven parish, South Staffordshire district, Staffordshire, England (OS grid ref SJ9006).

Origin

  1. Latinconventum
  2. Old Frenchcovent
  3. Anglo-Normancovent, cuvent
  4. Middle Englishcovent
  5. Englishcoven

From Middle English covent, from Anglo-Norman covent, cuvent, from Old French covent, from Latin conventum, from conveniō, from cum (“with”) and venio (“to come”). Doublet of convent.

More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Basque akelarre
  • akelarreformal group or assembly of witches
Bulgarian сбор на вещици
  • сбор на вещици (sbor na veštici)formal group or assembly of witches
Catalan aquelarre
  • aquelarreformal group or assembly of witches
Czech čarodějnický sabat
  • čarodějnický sabatformal group or assembly of witches
Dutch heksenkring, kliek
  • heksenkringformal group or assembly of witches
  • kliekclique
Finnish noitapiiri
  • noitapiiriformal group or assembly of witches
French sabbat, coven
  • sabbatformal group or assembly of witches
  • covenformal group or assembly of witches
  • clanformal group or assembly of witches
  • cliqueclique
German Hexenzirkel
  • Hexenzirkelformal group or assembly of witches
Irish coibhín, coibhín fia-chailleach
  • coibhínformal group or assembly of witches
  • coibhín fia-chailleachformal group or assembly of witches
Japanese 魔女の集まり, 魔女団
  • 魔女の集まり (majo no atsumari)formal group or assembly of witches
  • 魔女団 (majodan)formal group or assembly of witches
Norwegian hekseforsamling, heksemøte
  • hekseforsamlingformal group or assembly of witches
  • heksemøteformal group or assembly of witches
  • heksesabbatformal group or assembly of witches
Polish sabat, zlot czarownic
  • sabatformal group or assembly of witches
  • zlot czarownicformal group or assembly of witches
Portuguese conventículo
  • conventículoformal group or assembly of witches
Russian ша́баш
  • ша́баш (šábaš)formal group or assembly of witches
Spanish aquelarre, gremio
  • aquelarreformal group or assembly of witches
  • gremioclique
Swedish häxcirkel
  • häxcirkelformal group or assembly of witches
Ukrainian ша́баш
  • ша́баш (šábaš)formal group or assembly of witches
Welsh cwfen
  • cwfenformal group or assembly of witches

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with coven

ovensloven
All rhymes →

Anagrams

vonce
Cite this entry
APA

coven. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coven

MLA

“coven.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coven. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “coven,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coven.

Source: coven on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.