/ pen; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
(often in compounds) an instrument made of plastic or metal used for writing with ink :
pen and ink
a new book from the pen of Martin Amis
—see also ballpoint pen , felt-tip pen , fountain pen
2.
a small piece of land surrounded by a fence in which farm animals are kept :
a sheep pen
3.
( NAmE , slang ) = penitentiary
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IDIOMS
- the pen is mightier than the sword
- put pen to paper
—more at slip noun
■ verb ( -nn- ) [ vn ]
1.
( formal ) to write sth :
He penned a letter to the local paper.
2.
pen sb/sth (in / up) to shut an animal or a person in a small space :
At clipping time sheep need to be penned.
The whole family were penned up in one room for a month.
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WORD ORIGIN
noun sense 1 and verb sense 1 Middle English (originally denoting a feather with a sharpened quill): from Old French penne , from Latin penna feather (in late Latin pen).
verb sense 2 and noun sense 2 Old English penn , of unknown origin.