What is the definition of Ken?

Answer 1

"Ken" is most widely known as a personal name, short form of Kenneth, and as a name it has no definition.

It is also a dialect word in Scottish English coming from Old English, meaning knowledge or understanding or to know, depending on context.

Answer 2

Kenning:

• Sight; view; a distant view at sea.
• Range or extent of vision, especially at sea; a marine measure of approximately twenty miles.
• As little as one can recognise or discriminate; a small portion; a little.

Answer 3

Kennings are a feature of Norse and Anglo-Saxon poetry where a word is replaced by a two-word descriptive phrase, often metaphorical. For example, the beginning of the Anglo-Saxon poem Widsith is "Widsith mathelode, wordhord unleac" which is translated as "Widsith spoke, unlocking his word-hoard." "Unlocking his word-hoard" is a kenning, a metaphorical way of saying "spoke".