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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Pen \Pen\ (p[e^]n), n. [OE. penne, OF. penne, pene, F. penne,
fr. L. penna.]
1. A feather. [Obs.] --Spenser.
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2. A wing. [Obs.] --Milton.
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3. An instrument used for writing with ink, formerly made of
a reed, or of the quill of a goose or other bird, but now
also of other materials, as of steel, gold, etc. Also,
originally, a stylus or other instrument for scratching or
graving.
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Graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock. --Job
xix. 24.
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4. Fig.: A writer, or his style; as, he has a sharp pen.
"Those learned pens." --Fuller.
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5. (Zool.) The internal shell of a squid.
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6. [Etymol. uncertain.] (Zool.) A female swan; -- contrasted
with {cob}, the male swan. [Prov. Eng.]
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{Bow pen}. See {Bow-pen}.

{Dotting pen}, a pen for drawing dotted lines.

{Drawing pen}, or {Ruling pen}, a pen for ruling lines having
a pair of blades between which the ink is contained.

{Fountain pen}, {Geometric pen}. See under {Fountain}, and
{Geometric}.

{Music pen}, a pen having five points for drawing the five
lines of the staff.

{Pen and ink}, or {pen-and-ink}, executed or done with a pen
and ink; as, a pen and ink sketch.

{Pen feather}. A pin feather. [Obs.]

{Pen name}. See under {Name}.

{Sea pen} (Zool.), a pennatula. [Usually written {sea-pen}.]
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Pen \Pen\, n.
1. [From {Pen} to shut in.] A small inclosure; as, a pen for
sheep or for pigs.
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My father stole two geese out of a pen. --Shak.
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2. [From penitentiary.] A penitentiary[6]; a prison. [Slang]
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Pen \Pen\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Penned}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Penning}.]
To write; to compose and commit to paper; to indite; to
compose; as, to pen a sonnet. "A prayer elaborately penned."
--Milton.
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Pen \Pen\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Penned}or {Pent} (?); p. pr. &
vb. n. {Penning}.] [OE. pennen, AS. pennan in on-pennan to
unfasten, prob. from the same source as pin, and orig.
meaning, to fasten with a peg.See {Pin}, n. & v.]
To shut up, as in a pen or cage; to confine in a small
inclosure or narrow space; to coop up, or shut in; to
inclose. "Away with her, and pen her up." --Shak.
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Watching where shepherds pen their flocks at eve.
--Milton.
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Penitentiary \Pen`i*ten"tia*ry\, n.; pl. {Penitentiaries}. [Cf.
F. p['e]nitencier. See {Penitent}.]
1. One who prescribes the rules and measures of penance.
[Obs.] --Bacon.
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2. One who does penance. [Obs.] --Hammond.
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3. A small building in a monastery where penitents confessed.
--Shpiley.
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4. That part of a church to which penitents were admitted.
--Shipley.
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5. (R. C. Ch.)
(a) An office of the papal court which examines cases of
conscience, confession, absolution from vows, etc.,
and delivers decisions, dispensations, etc. Its chief
is a cardinal, called the Grand Penitentiary,
appointed by the pope.
(b) An officer in some dioceses since A. D. 1215, vested
with power from the bishop to absolve in cases
reserved to him.
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6. A house of correction, in which offenders are confined for
punishment, discipline, and reformation, and in which they
are generally compelled to labor; a prison; a jail.
Colloquially often shortened to {pen}.
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