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 keeper2A 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- 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
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