fen

Definition

A type of wetland fed by ground water and runoff, containing peat below the waterline, characteristically alkaline.

Etymology

From Middle English fen, fenne, from Old English fenn (“fen; marsh; mud; dirt”), Proto-West Germanic *fani, from Proto-Germanic *fanją, from Proto-Indo-European *pen- (“bog, mire”). See also West Frisian fean, Dutch veen, German Fenn, Norwegian fen; also Middle Irish en (“water”), enach (“swamp”), Old Prussian pannean (“peat-bog”), Sanskrit पङ्क (paṅka, “marsh, mud, mire, slough”).

Example Sentences

• "Near-synonyms: marsh, swamp, bog, mire"
• "Bogs are acidic, nutrient poor, and have a low species diversity, whereas fens are less acidic and have higher nutrient levels and species diversity."
• "Bogs are acidic peatlands, while fens are non-acidic peatlands."

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