pen 1
— penlike , adj. — penner , n.
/pen/ , n. , v. , penned, penning .
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.
a. a quill.
b. a pinfeather.
11. something resembling or suggesting a feather or quill.
12. Zool. an internal, corneous or chitinous, feather-shaped structure in certain cephalopods, as the squid.
v.t.
13. to write with or as with a pen; put down in writing: to pen an essay.
14. to draw with or as with a pen: to pen a sketch.
[ 1250-1300; ME penne penne pen, feather penna, L: feather ]
pen 2
/pen/ , n. , v. , penned or pent, penning .
n.
1. a small enclosure for domestic animals.
2. animals so enclosed: We have a pen of twenty sheep.
3. an 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.
7. to confine in or as in a pen.
[ bef. 1000; (n.) ME penne, OE penn (in compounds); perh. akin to PIN; (v.) ME pennen, deriv. of the n. ]
pen 3
/pen/ , n. Slang.
penitentiary (def. 1).
[ 1880-85; Amer.; shortened form ]
pen 4
/pen/ , n.
a female swan.
[ 1540-50; orig. uncert. ]