pen
/pen/ (bre, ipa) · /pen/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpen/ (ame, mw)
pen — noun
- pensingular
- pensplural
1. a tool with ink inside that you use to write or draw.
a tool with ink inside that you use to write or draw.
Maya signed the birthday card with a blue pen after lunch.
sign with a pen
The nurse kept three pens in her coat pocket all day.
Please use a pen, not a pencil, on this hotel form.
A black pen rolled off the desk and landed by Leo's shoe.
- ballpoint pen
the most common modern type with a tiny rolling ball
- fountain pen
a more formal type with liquid ink and a metal nib
- pencil
writes with graphite and can usually be erased
文法句型
write with a pen
in pen
用法筆記
Often used after with or in. Unlike a pencil, a pen usually leaves a mark that cannot be rubbed out.
常見錯誤
2. a fenced area used to hold pigs, sheep, or other farm animals.
a fenced area used to hold pigs, sheep, or other farm animals.
The farmer moved the pigs into a clean pen before sunset.
animals in a pen
Liam forgot the gate, and two goats slipped out of the pen.
Behind the barn, a muddy pen held six young sheep.
We washed the empty pen after the calves went outside.
- open field
an area where animals are not fenced in
文法句型
animals in a pen
pen gate
用法筆記
Usually names a simple fenced area for pigs, sheep, or goats. Distinguish from stable, which is a building for horses.
常見錯誤
3. in slang, a prison where serious criminals are kept.
in slang, a prison where serious criminals are kept.
Rico spent six years in the pen after the robbery.
slang: in the pen
After three years in the pen, Darnell came home quietly.
In that film, two brothers meet again after one leaves the pen.
Local papers said the gang leader was heading back to the pen.
- prison
the neutral everyday word
- penitentiary
a more formal full form, especially in American English
- freedom
the state of not being kept in prison
文法句型
in the pen
go back to the pen
用法筆記
Mostly heard in American slang, especially after in, out of, or back to. In legal or news writing, prison or penitentiary is safer.
常見錯誤
4. in baseball, the place where relief pitchers wait and warm up.
in baseball, the place where relief pitchers wait and warm up.
The manager called to the pen in the seventh inning.
baseball: call to the pen
After the home run, one relief pitcher started warming up in the pen.
warm up in the pen
TV cameras showed three tired pitchers sitting in the pen.
By April, two rookies were fighting for a place in the pen.
- bullpen
the full standard term in baseball
- relief corps
the group of relief pitchers rather than the place itself
文法句型
in the pen
go to the pen
用法筆記
Common in baseball talk. Depending on context, it can mean the fenced warm-up area or the relief pitchers there.
5. the female bird in a pair of swans.
the female bird in a pair of swans.
The pen guarded her nest while the cob swam nearby.
pen and cob as a swan pair
At dawn, the pen led four young swans across the lake.
Birdwatchers saw the pen spread her wings over the young.
One injured pen stayed close to the reeds all week.
- female swan
a plain explanatory term used when the technical word is unknown
- swan
used when the sex of the bird does not matter
文法句型
the pen and the cob
用法筆記
Used mainly in birdwatching or breeding talk. The male is a cob, and the young are cygnets.
6. in football, an informal word for a shot taken from the penalty spot.
in football, an informal word for a shot taken from the penalty spot.
The striker won a pen after the defender pulled his shirt.
football: win a pen
Fans screamed for a pen when the ball hit Marco's arm.
We were one goal down, then Sofia buried the pen.
The referee waved play on and refused the pen.
文法句型
win a pen
give a pen
用法筆記
Common in British football speech and live commentary. Distinguish from the full form penalty or penalty kick in more neutral writing.
常見錯誤
pen — verb
- penpresent simple I / you / we / they
- pens3rd person singular
- penning-ing form
- pennedpast simple
1. to write words, especially in a careful or literary way.
to write words, especially in a careful or literary way.
Nora penned a short thank-you note before catching the train.
pen + note
The poet penned three lines on a napkin at the cafe.
After the meeting, our chair penned a reply to the parents.
In prison, Malik penned letters to his daughter every Sunday.
- erase
removes writing instead of creating it
文法句型
pen + note/letter/article
用法筆記
Object is usually something fairly short, such as a note, letter, speech, or article. It sounds more literary than everyday write.
常見錯誤
pen — abbreviation
1. a short written form of peninsula, used mainly on maps and in notes.
a short written form of peninsula, used mainly on maps and in notes.
The map key uses pen. for peninsula in crowded coastal labels.
map label: pen. = peninsula
On the worksheet, Mia wrote pen. after the word peninsula.
The old atlas prints pen. beside Baja California on one page.
Our geography notes shorten peninsula to pen. in the margin.
文法句型
pen. = peninsula
用法筆記
Mostly seen on maps, charts, and school notes where space is tight. In normal running text, writers usually use the full word peninsula.