1
: a box or enclosure having some openwork for confining or carrying animals (such as birds)
2
a
: a barred cell for confining prisoners
b
: a fenced area for prisoners of war
3
: a framework serving as support
the steel cage of a skyscraper
4
a
: an enclosure resembling a cage in form or purpose
a cashier's cage
b
: an arrangement of atoms or molecules so bonded as to enclose a space in which another atom or ion (as of a metal) can reside
5
a
b
: a goal consisting of posts or a frame with a net attached (as in ice hockey)
6
: a large building containing an area for practicing outdoor sports and often adapted for indoor events
caged; caging
1
: to confine or keep in or as if in a cage
2
: to drive (a puck, a shot, etc.) into a cage and score a goal
Examples of cage in a Sentence
Noun
the dogs and cats at the animal shelter looked so sad in their cages
Verb
caged the rabbit at night so she wouldn't wake everyone up
Recent Examples on the Web
Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Having lived her life in a cage, Beverly initially struggled to walk far—managing only a few steps before sitting down.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 8 Oct. 2025
This time, there would be no escape but as police would come to learn, caging Bishnoi wouldn’t end his reign.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cage
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Noun
This thinking also came out in the cage match between Jordan and Marie, which was positioned as punishment for Jordan speaking out during the rally.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Having lived her life in a cage, Beverly initially struggled to walk far—managing only a few steps before sitting down.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
The bias is that the first question assumes or glosses over the legitimacy of caging, tacitly accepting the human agricultural system as the baseline.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 8 Oct. 2025
This time, there would be no escape but as police would come to learn, caging Bishnoi wouldn’t end his reign.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cage
Cite this Entry
“Cage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cage. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cage
1 of 2 noun1
: an enclosure that has large openings covered usually with wire net or bars and is used for keeping animals or birds
2
: an enclosure like a cage in form or purpose
cageful
noun
cage
2 of 2 verb
caged; caging
: to put or keep in or as if in a cage
Medical Definition
cage
noun
: an arrangement of atoms or molecules so bonded as to enclose a space in which another atom or ion (as of a metal) can reside
Biographical Definition
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