Link Centre Dictionary

pen

UK/pen/ US/pɛn/ common informal slang
noun (5) verb (1)

noun

1.

a writing implement with a point from which ink flows

2.
3.

a portable enclosure in which babies may be left to play

Synonyms
4.

a correctional institution for those convicted of major crimes

Synonyms
5.

verb

1.

produce a literary work

  • “She composed a poem”
  • “He wrote four novels”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English penne, from Anglo-Norman penne, from Old French penne, from Latin penna (“feather”), from Proto-Indo-European *péth₂r̥ ~ pth₂én- (“feather, wing”), from *peth₂- (“to rush, fly”, whence petition), root of *petra-, whence Ancient Greek πτερόν (pterón, “wing”, whence pterodactyl), and also of Sanskrit पत्रम् (patram, “wing, feather”), Old Church Slavonic перо (pero, “pen”), Old Norse fjǫðr (“feather”), Old English feþer, feðer (Modern English feather); note the /p/ → /f/ Germanic sound change. Doublet of panne, penna, and pinna. See feather and πέτομαι (pétomai) for more. Not related to pencil.

Phrases

  • 3D pen
  • ball pen
  • ball-point pen
  • beard pen
  • blast pen
  • border pen
  • bow pen
  • brush pen
  • bull pen
  • cattle pen
  • crush pen
  • Pen Mill

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

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See also

Part of

Related verbs

Entails

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.