Pen - Dictionary Of English

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pen [links] UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈpɛn/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/pɛn/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(pen) ⓘ One or more forum threads is an exact match of your searched term in Spanish | in French | English synonyms | English Collocations | English Usage | Conjugator | in context | images Inflections of 'pen' (v): (⇒ conjugate)pensv 3rd person singular penningv pres p pennedv past pennedv past p WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025pen1 /pɛn/USA pronunciation n., v., penned, pen•ning. n. [countable]
  1. any of various instruments for writing or drawing with ink.
  2. the pen as a symbol of writing; authorship:The pen is mightier than the sword.
v. [~ + object]
  1. to write or draw with or as if with a pen:to pen an essay.
pen2 /pɛn/USA pronunciation n., v., penned, pen•ning. n. [countable]
  1. Animal Husbandrya small fenced-in area for domestic animals.
  2. a playpen.
  3. Sportbullpen (defs. 1, 2).
v. [~ + object]
  1. Animal Husbandryto confine in or as if in a pen:The animals were penned there for weeks.
pen3 /pɛn/USA pronunciation n.
  1. Slang Termspenitentiary.
-pen-, root.
    1. -pen- comes from Latin and Greek, where it has the meanings "penalty; wrong,'' and hence "repent.'' These meanings are found in such words as: impenitent, penal, penalize, penitence, penology, repent, subpoena.
Pen. or pen., an abbreviation of:
  1. peninsula.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025pen1 (pen),USA pronunciation n., v., penned, pen•ning. n.
  1. any of various instruments for writing or drawing with ink or a similar substance.
  2. a detachable metal penpoint, filled by dipping or with a quill; nib.
  3. such a penpoint with its penholder.
  4. fountain pen.
  5. ball-point pen.
  6. the pen as the instrument of writing or authorship:The pen is mightier than the sword.
  7. a person's style or quality of writing:He writes with a witty, incisive pen.
  8. a writer:I leave this story to abler pens.
  9. the profession of writing:a master of the pen.
  10. [Ornith.]
    • Birdsa quill.
    • Birdsa pinfeather.
  11. something resembling or suggesting a feather or quill.
  12. Zoologyan internal, corneous or chitinous, feather-shaped structure in certain cephalopods, as the squid.
v.t.
  1. to write with or as with a pen; put down in writing:to pen an essay.
  2. to draw with or as with a pen:to pen a sketch.
  • Late Latin penna, Latin: feather
  • Old French penne pen, feather
  • Middle English penne 1250–1300
pen′like′, adj. pen′ner, n. pen2 (pen),USA pronunciation n., v., penned or pent, pen•ning. n.
  1. Animal Husbandrya small enclosure for domestic animals.
  2. Animal Husbandryanimals so enclosed:We have a pen of twenty sheep.
  3. Animal Husbandryan enclosure used for confinement or safekeeping:We have built several pens to hold our harvest of corn.
  4. playpen.
  5. See bull pen.
  6. a dock having a protective concrete structure overhead, used to service and repair submarines.
v.t.
  1. Animal Husbandryto confine in or as in a pen.
  • bef. 1000; (noun, nominal) Middle English penne, Old English penn (in compounds); perh. akin to pin; (verb, verbal) Middle English pennen, derivative of the noun, nominal
pen3 (pen),USA pronunciation n. [Slang.]
  1. Slang Termspenitentiary (def. 1).
  • 1880–85; American; shortened form
pen4 (pen),USA pronunciation n.
  1. Birdsa female swan.
  • origin, originally uncertain 1540–50
pen-,
  1. var. of pene- before a vowel:penannular.
Pen.,
  1. peninsula.
Also, pen. P.E.N.,
  1. International Association of Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, and Novelists.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: pen /pɛn/ n
  1. an implement for writing or drawing using ink, formerly consisting of a sharpened and split quill, and now of a metal nib attached to a holder See also ballpoint, fountain pen
  2. the writing end of such an implement; nib
  3. style of writing
  4. the pen ⇒ writing as an occupation
 vb (pens, penning, penned)
  1. (transitive) to write or compose
Etymology: Old English pinne, from Late Latin penna (quill) pen, from Latin: featherpen /pɛn/ n
  1. an enclosure in which domestic animals are kept
  2. any place of confinement
  3. a dock for servicing submarines, esp one having a bombproof roof
 vb (pens, penning, penned, pent)
  1. (transitive) to enclose or keep in a pen
Etymology: Old English penn, perhaps related to pinpen /pɛn/ n
  1. US Canadian informal short for penitentiary
pen /pɛn/ n
  1. a female swan
Etymology: 16th Century: of unknown originpen /pɛn/ n
  • Brit informal
    • WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025pene-,
    1. a combining form meaning "almost,'' used in the formation of compound words:penecontemporaneous.
    Also,[esp. before a vowel,] pen-.
    • Latin paene-, combining form of paene
    Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: PEN /pɛn/ n acronym for
    1. International Association of Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, and Novelists
     Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: Pen. abbreviation for
    1. Peninsula
     'pen' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations): ballpoint - Bell - bistre - Boz - Burton - calamari - catching pen - chase - crib - cubbyhole - cyclostyle - dabber - data pen - Day-Lewis - de Molina - Dickens - Dinesen - dot - draw - drawing - Elia - Elizabeth - felt-tip pen - Firdausi - flash drive - flow - fold - fountain pen - Furphy - Gorki - Hamsun - highlighter - inkwell - Junius - key drive - kraal - Lamb - Le Pen - light pen - line - MacDiarmid - Marprelate - Maurois - Mistral - Moravia - Munro - nib - nom de plume - O. Henry - osmiridium In Lists: Top 2000 English words, Office and desk stationery, Things kept in a handbag/purse, more...Synonyms: prison, jail, clink, lockup, joint, more...Collocations: a [fountain, writing, feather, ballpoint, quill, dip, felt-tipped] pen, pen a [novel, play, letter], a pen drive, more...

    🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "pen" in the title:

    “This is my pen.”? (punctuation; question mark) “You wouldn’t have a pen, would you?” vs “You don’t have a pen, do you?” [Negative of] "I had to buy a pen." [Y] at the beginning of a sentence when written by a pen or pencil. 10 dollars' worth of a/the pen a black pen and <a black> pencil a book or <a> pen, a book and <a> pen a boy's pen or the boy's pen a difficult pen a <long-wearing pen> a marker / felt tip <pen> in the toilet a Parker Duo fold pen A pen / the pen a pen and (a) pencil a pen and (a) pencil A pen has been missing /There has been a pen missing a pen not writing properly a pen of the length 5 cm A pen on my table is nice a pen was given to him to a pen, any pens or any pen? A phrase for broken pen A problem with pen! A red pen: "a red-colored pen" or "a red-inked pen"? a stint in <the> pen a tale from the pen of one of whom a word describing the relationship between pen friends A/ the pen's dropped all you had to do was make sure you had paper and pen handy are in the sentence "This is my pen."? / are in "This is my pen."? more...Visit the English Only Forum.Help WordReference: Ask in the forums yourself. Look up "pen" at Merriam-Webster Look up "pen" at dictionary.com
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