Pen

As a noun, a pen is a tool used for writing or drawing with ink. It can also mean a small fenced area for keeping animals. As a verb, “to pen” means to write something or to shut animals or people into a small space.

The writing “pen” comes from Old French *penne*, meaning “feather,” because early pens were made from bird feathers (quills). The animal “pen” is from a different Old English root, *penn*, meaning “enclosure” or “fold.”