noun / verb
pen
An enclosed space used to confine animals or people.
The farmer keeps the young goats in a sturdy pen.
Etymology
Old English penn named an enclosure. The modern noun and verb retain that function of confining animals or people within a bounded space.
More examples
- We pen the sheep near the barn each evening.
- The chickens escape through a gap in their pen.
- He visits his brother in the pen every month.
Forms
pen · pens · penned · penning