Home UK English penman

Meaning of penman in English:

penman

Pronunciation /ˈpɛnmən/

nounplural noun penmen

  • 1 historical A person, such as a clerk, who was employed to write by hand on behalf of others.

    • ‘In painting he is a master of nuance, but as a penman he tends to the workmanlike.’
    clerk, secretary, copyist, transcriber, amanuensis, recorder, record keeper

  • 2A person who writes with a specified degree of skill.

    ‘this talented penman's work’
    • ‘The most swift and tireless penmen appeared to keep the arm on the desk at all times and formed their letters with little or no motion of the fingers - a free and tireless style of penmanship.’
    • ‘Fraktur were also produced by scriveners (professional penmen), artists, and possibly by stonemasons.’
    writer, feature writer, columnist, correspondent, reporter, journalist, penman
    1. 2.1An author.
      ‘The reading they seek is not that of the Divine Author but of the penman.’
      • ‘While the bloggers and muckrakers sweat it out in every nook and corner with a wireless signal, the well-paid penmen are in luxury suites tapping their manicured fingers in front of twenty-inch flat screens.’
      • ‘I'm one penman in their stable of travel writers - tell the good readers where to spend their vacation time.’
      writer, man of letters, woman of letters, wordsmith