den of iniquity

English

Etymology

Unclear, but probably inspired by the "den of thieves" in the KJV Bible (Matthew 21:13: My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves), which is a calque of Latin spēlunca latrōnum.

Pronunciation

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Noun

den of iniquity (plural dens of iniquity)

1. (idiomatic) A place of immoral behavior, often of a sexual type.
   • 1840, George Dabney, The History of an Adventurer:

     The young men made their preparations with alacrity, and, headed by this western patriarch, we proceeded at a rapid gait to surprize the tenants of this den of iniquity.

   • 1944, Robert Howard, Texas John Alden:

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