den of iniquity

English - English

Definition of den of iniquity in English English dictionary

A place of immoral behavior, usually of a sexual type

Shet up! I snarled. I'm jest payin' yuh back for all the pain and humiliation I suffered in this den of iniquity--.

Hyphenation

Den of in·iq·ui·ty

Etymology

() The origin of the term can be traced back to the New Testament of the Bible. In both Gospel of Mark and Matthew, Jesus condemns those who have been using the sacred temple as a marketplace, proclaiming that they have "made it a den of thieves." To this day, writers use the word "den" to mean a place where iniquitous activities are carried out. The exact idiom den of iniquity does not appear in written English until the 20th century.