pen
Meaning
-
- An enclosure (enclosed area) used to contain domesticated animals, especially sheep or cattle.
- (slang) A penitentiary, i.e. a state or federal prison for convicted felons.
- The bullpen.
Synonyms
writing brush
writing instrument
writing implement
cattle pen
cattle-pen
cheval-de-frise
kalamos
sheep hold
gaol cell
sheep-cote
painter’s brush
small cattle enclosure
hair pencil
dam up
drop a line
Frequency
Pronounced as (IPA)
/pɛn/
Etymology
From Middle English pen, penne (“enclosure for animals”), from Old English penn (“enclosure, fold, pen”), from Proto-Germanic *pennō, *pannijō (“pin, bolt, nail, tack”), from Proto-Indo-European *bend- (“pointed peg, nail, edge”). Related to pin. Sense “prison” originally figurative extension to “enclosure for persons” (1845), later influenced by penitentiary (“prison”), being analyzed as an abbreviation (1884).
pan
-
- A wide, flat receptacle used around the house, especially for cooking.
- The contents of such a receptacle.
- A cylindrical receptacle about as tall as it is wide, with one long handle, usually made of metal, used for cooking in the home.
- A deep plastic receptacle, used for washing or food preparation; a basin.
- A wide receptacle in which gold grains are separated from gravel by washing the contents with water.
- An expanse of level land located in a depression, especially
- An expanse of level land located in a depression, especially
- An expanse of level land located in a depression, especially
- An expanse of level land located in a depression, especially
- Short for hardpan: a hard substrate such as is formed in pans.
- (obsolete) Synonym of pipe: a channel for lava within a volcano; the cylindrical remains of such channels.
- Strong adverse criticism.
- A loaf of bread; a pan-loaf.
- (obsolete) The chamber pot in a close stool; (now) the base of a toilet, consisting of the bowl and its support.
- A bedpan.
- (slang) A human face, a mug.
- The bottom flat part of a roofing panel that is between the ribs of the panel.
- A closed vessel for boiling or evaporating as part of manufacture; a vacuum pan.
- The part of a flintlock that holds the priming.
- The skull, considered as a vessel containing the brain; the brainpan.
- The brain, seen as one's intellect.
- A recess, or bed, for the leaf of a hinge.
- Short for steelpan.
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Notes