Meaning & use
pen cap
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A small cover that you put on the end of a pen to protect the tip or to stop ink from drying out.
Grammar: Countable: one pen cap, two pen caps.
Patterns
- put the pen cap on
- take the pen cap off
- a pen cap
She put the pen cap back on so the ink wouldn't dry out.
I can't find the pen cap anywhere; it must have rolled under the desk.
The pen cap has a small clip so you can attach it to your pocket.
Word forms
| plural | pen caps |
|---|
Common combinations
- put the pen cap on
- Please put the pen cap on after you finish writing.
- take the pen cap off
- He took the pen cap off and started to write.
- lose the pen cap
- I always lose the pen cap when I'm in a hurry.
- pen cap clip
- The pen cap clip broke, so I can't attach it to my shirt.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pen lid
- Less common for a pen; 'lid' is more often used for containers like bottles or boxes.
- cap
- A short form; you can say 'the cap' if it is clear you mean the pen cap.
Word family
Commonly confused: pen cap or pen lid?
pen cap vs pen lid
'Pen lid' is sometimes used, but 'cap' is the usual word for a pen. 'Lid' is more common for containers.
Practice
Complete the sentence: Don't forget to put the ___ back on your pen, or the ink will dry out.
Choose one answer.
'Cap' is the standard word for the cover of a pen. 'Lid' is used for containers like jars, 'top' is too general, and 'cover' is not the usual word for a pen.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pen cap”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.