2. Expressive of penitence; as, a penitentiary letter.
3. Used for punishment, discipline, and reformation. "Penitentiary houses." Blackstone.
Penitentiary
(Pen`i*ten"tia*ry), n.; pl. Penitentiaries [Cf. F. pénitencier. See Penitent.]
1. One who prescribes the rules and measures of penance. [Obs.] Bacon.
2. One who does penance. [Obs.] Hammond.
3. A small building in a monastery where penitents confessed. Shpiley.
4. That part of a church to which penitents were admitted. Shipley.
5. (R. C. Ch.) (a) An office of the papal court which examines cases of conscience, confession, absolution
from vows, etc., and delivers decisions, dispensations, etc. Its chief is a cardinal, called the Grand Penitentiary,
appointed by the pope. (b) An officer in some dioceses since A. D. 1215, vested with power from the
bishop to absolve in cases reserved to him.
6. A house of correction, in which offenders are confined for punishment, discipline, and reformation,
and in which they are generally compelled to labor.
Penitentiaryship
(Pen`i*ten"tia*ry*ship), n. The office or condition of a penitentiary of the papal court.
[R.] Wood.
Penitently
(Pen"i*tent*ly), adv. In a penitent manner.
Penk
(Penk) n. A minnow. See Pink, n., 4. [Prov. Eng.] Walton.
Penknife
(Pen"knife`) n.; pl. Penknives [Pen + knife.] A small pocketknife; formerly, a knife used for
making and mending quill pens.
Penman
(Pen"man) n.; pl. Penmen
1. One who uses the pen; a writer; esp., one skilled in the use of the pen; a calligrapher; a writing master.
2. An author; a composer. South.
Penmanship
(Pen"man*ship), n. The use of the pen in writing; the art of writing; style or manner of writing; chirography; as,
good or bad penmanship.
Penna
(||Pen"na) n.; pl. Pennæ [L.] (Zoöl.) A perfect, or normal, feather.
Pennaceous
(Pen"na"ceous) a. (Zoöl.) Like or pertaining to a normal feather.
Pennach
(Pen"nach) n. [OF. pennache. See Panache.] A bunch of feathers; a plume. [Obs.] Holland.
Pennached
(Pen"nached) a. [Cf. OF. pennaché. See Panache.] Variegated; striped. [Obs.] Evelyn.
Pennage
(Pen"nage) n. [L. penna feather.] Feathery covering; plumage. [Obs.] Holland.
Pennant
(Pen"nant) n. [OE. penon, penoun, pynoun, OF. penon, F. pennon, fr. L. penna feather.
See Pen a feather, and cf. Pennon, Pinion.] (Naut.) (a) A small flag; a pennon. The narrow, or
long, pennant (called also whip or coach whip) is a long, narrow piece of bunting, carried at the masthead
of a government vessel in commission. The board pennant is an oblong, nearly square flag, carried at
the masthead of a commodore's vessel. "With flags and pennants trimmed." Drayton. (b) A rope or
strap to which a purchase is hooked.
