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Definition pen

Etymology 1

From Middle English pen, penne (“enclosure for animals”), from Old English penn (“enclosure, fold, pen”) (in compounds), from Proto-Germanic *penn?, *pannij? (“pin, bolt, nail, tack”), from Proto-Indo-European *bend- (“pointed peg, nail, edge”). Akin to Old English pennian (“to close, lock, bolt”) (in compounds onpennian (“to open”)), Low German pennen (“to secure a door with a bolt”), Old English pinn (“peg, bolt”). More at pin.

Sense “prison” originally figurative extension to “enclosure for persons” (1845), later influenced by penitentiary (“prison”), being analyzed as an abbreviation (1884).

Noun

pen (plural pens)

1. An enclosure (enclosed area) used to contain domesticated animals, especially sheep or cattle.
2. (slang) A prison cell.
3. (baseball) The bullpen.

Verb

pen (third-person singular simple present pens, present participle penning, simple past and past participle penned or pent)

1. (transitive) To enclose in a pen.

Etymology 2

From Middle English penne, from Anglo-Norman penne, from Old French penne, from Latin penna (“feather”), from Proto-Indo-European *péth?r? ~ pth?én- (“feather, wing”), from *peth?- (“to rush, fly”) (from which petition). Proto-Indo-European base also root of *petra-, from which ?????? (pterón, “wing”) (whence pterodactyl), Sanskrit ?????? (patram, “wing, feather”), Old Church Slavonic ???? (pero, “pen”), Old Norse fj?ðr, Old English feðer (Modern English feather); note the /p/ ? /f/ Germanic sound change.

See feather and ??????? (pétomai) for more.

Noun

pen (plural pens)

1. A tool, originally made from a feather but now usually a small tubular instrument, containing ink used to write or make marks.
2. (figuratively) A writer, or his style.
3. (colloquial) Marks of ink left by a pen.
4. A light pen.
5. (zoology) The internal cartilage skeleton of a squid, shaped like a pen.
6. (now rare, poetic, dialectal) A feather, especially one of the flight feathers of a bird, angel etc.
7. (poetic) A wing.

Verb

pen (third-person singular simple present pens, present participle penning, simple past and past participle penned)

1. (transitive) To write (an article, a book, etc.).

Etymology 3

Origin uncertain. Compare hen.

Noun

pen (plural pens)

1. A female swan.

Etymology 4

Shortened form of penalty

Noun

pen (plural pens)

1. (soccer, slang) penalty

Results 340 Words with the letters PEN

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