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Pen vs Pin - What's the difference?

pen | pin |

As nouns the difference between pen and pin

is that pen is an enclosed area used to contain domesticated animals, especially sheep or cattle while pin is a small device, made (usually) of drawn-out steel wire with one end sharpened and the other flattened or rounded into a head, used for fastening.

As verbs the difference between pen and pin

is that pen is to enclose in a pen while pin is (often followed by a preposition such as to or on) To fasten or attach (something) with a pin.

pen

English

(wikipedia pen)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) . More at pin. Sense “prison” originally figurative extension to enclosure for persons (1845), later influenced by

Noun

(en noun)
  • An enclosed area used to contain domesticated animals, especially sheep or cattle.
  • There are two steers in the third pen .
  • A place to confine a person; a prison cell.
  • They caught him with a stolen horse, and he wound up in the pen again.
  • (baseball) The bullpen.
  • Two righties are up in the pen .

    Verb

  • To enclose in a pen.
  • * Milton
  • Watching where shepherds pen their flocks at eve.

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) (m), from (etyl) (Modern English (m)); note the /p/ ? /f/ Germanic sound change. See feather and for more.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A tool, originally made from a feather but now usually a small tubular instrument, containing ink used to write or make marks.
  • He took notes with a pen .
  • (figurative) A writer, or his style.
  • He has a sharp pen .
  • * Fuller
  • those learned pens
  • A light pen.
  • (zoology) The internal cartilage skeleton of a squid, shaped like a pen.
  • A feather, especially one of the flight feathers of a bird, angel etc.
  • * 1590 , Edmund Spendser, The Faerie Queene , I.xi:
  • And eke the pennes , that did his pineons bynd, / Were like mayne-yards, with flying canuas lynd, / With which whenas him list the ayre to beat
  • (poetic) A wing.
  • (Milton)
    Derived terms
    * ball pen * ball-point pen * border pen * bull pen * cartridge pen * felt-tip pen * fountain pen * goose pen * lettering pen * pen cancellation * pen feather * pen-mate * penmanship * pen name * pen pal * pen-pusher * poison pen * you don't dip your pen in company ink

    Verb

    (penn)
  • To write (an article, a book, etc.).
  • Etymology 3

    Origin uncertain.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A female swan.
  • Etymology 4

    Shortned form of penalty

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • penalty
  • References

    pin

    English

    (wikipedia pin)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small device, made (usually) of drawn-out steel wire with one end sharpened and the other flattened or rounded into a head, used for fastening.
  • * Milton
  • With pins of adamant / And chains they made all fast.
  • A small nail with a head and a sharp point.
  • A cylinder often of wood or metal used to fasten or as a bearing between two parts.
  • Pull the pin out of the grenade before throwing it at the enemy.
  • A slender object specially designed for use in a specific game or sport, such as skittles or bowling.
  • (in plural'' pins ; ''informal ) A leg.
  • I'm not so good on my pins these days.
  • (electricity) Any of the individual connecting elements of a multipole electrical connector.
  • The UK standard connector for domestic mains electricity has three pins .
  • A piece of jewellery that is attached to clothing with a pin.
  • (US) A simple accessory that can be attached to clothing with a pin or fastener, often round and bearing a design, logo or message, and used for decoration, identification or to show political affiliation, etc.
  • (chess) A scenario in which moving a lesser piece to escape from attack would expose a more valuable piece to attack.
  • (curling) The spot at the exact centre of the house (the target area)
  • The shot landed right on the pin .
  • * Shakespeare
  • the very pin of his heart cleft
  • (dated) A mood, a state of being.
  • * Cowper
  • a merry pin
  • One of a row of pegs in the side of an ancient drinking cup to mark how much each person should drink.
  • (medicine, obsolete) caligo
  • (Shakespeare)
  • A thing of small value; a trifle.
  • * Spectator
  • He did not care a pin for her.
  • A peg in musical instruments for increasing or relaxing the tension of the strings.
  • (engineering) A short shaft, sometimes forming a bolt, a part of which serves as a journal.
  • The tenon of a dovetail joint.
  • Synonyms

    * (small nail) nail, tack * (cylinder of wood or metal) peg * (games) skittle * (jewellery fastened with a pin) brooch * (accessory) badge

    Hyponyms

    * (jewellery fastened with a pin) breastpin * (chess) absolute pin, relative pin, partial pin

    Derived terms

    * belaying pin * breastpin * clothespin / clothes pin * drawing pin * gudgeon pin * on a pin * on pins and needles * pincushion * pinhead * pinhole * pin money * pinner * pinprick * pins and needles * pintle * pin-up, pinup * rolling pin * safety pin

    See also

    * needle

    Verb

  • (often followed by a preposition such as'' to''' ''or'' ' on ) To fasten or attach (something) with a pin.
  • (chess, usually, in the passive) To cause (a piece) to be in a pin.
  • (wrestling) To pin down (someone).
  • To enclose; to confine; to pen; to pound.
  • (computing, GUI) To attach (an icon, application, etc.) to another item.
  • to pin a window to the Taskbar
  • Derived terms

    * pin down * pin in * pin on * pin the tail on the donkey * pin up * underpin