# hutch

/ˈhətʃ/ (US) · /hˈʌtʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hutch
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. animal cage

noun · CEFR B1

a wooden box with a wire front used for keeping small pets like rabbits or guinea pigs.

For teachers: an enclosed coop or cage, typically constructed of wood and wire, designed for housing small domestic animals.

- Every morning, the children go out to the garden to feed the rabbit in its hutch.
- The animal welfare inspector noted that the hutch was too small for two adult rabbits and lacked a proper run for exercise.

### 2. furniture

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

a piece of furniture with shelves on top of a cupboard, used for showing or storing dishes.

For teachers: a furniture unit consisting of a set of shelves or cabinets placed atop a lower sideboard or desk.

- She kept her grandmother's fine china on the top shelf of the kitchen hutch.
- The dining room was dominated by a massive oak hutch that displayed a collection of hand-painted ceramic plates.

### 3. mining car

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a small wagon used in a mine to carry coal or ore.

For teachers: a low-wheeled car or container used for transporting coal or ore within a mine and hoisting it to the surface.

- The miners filled the hutch with coal before it was pulled to the surface.
- Historical records from the colliery detail the number of hutches brought to the pithead during each twelve-hour shift.

### 4. to wash ore

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to wash or sort metal ore in a special box.

For teachers: to wash or dress ore in a trough or jigging machine to separate minerals.

- The workers had to hutch the ore carefully to separate the gold from the dirt.
- In traditional mining operations, the process to hutch the crushed rock required a steady supply of running water and significant manual labour.

## Examples

- We built a large hutch for our new pet rabbit.
- The children spent the afternoon cleaning the hutch and providing fresh hay for their guinea pigs.
- While modern animal welfare standards often recommend larger runs, the traditional hutch remains a common sight in suburban gardens for housing small mammals overnight.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.