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Glite Dictionary
catch pen

catch pen

6.3
A small fenced area that holds animals like sheep or cattle for a short time
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : corral
  • After rounding up the cattle, they secured them in the catch pen for vaccinations.

Examples

  • She breathes hard and then looks back out to the catch-pen on the slope below the barn.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • The farmer guided the sheep into the catch pen to sort them for shearing.

  • We used a catch pen to temporarily hold the goats before moving them to a larger pasture.

Synonyms

pen
vscatch pen
63 3.5

A small area for keeping animals like pigs or chickens

stresses temporary use for sorting or handling rather than general confinement
corral
vscatch pen
  • US
30 5.3

An enclosure for keeping farm animals like cattle or horses

is more narrowly about short-term holding for handling or sorting purposes
stockyard
vscatch pen
  • US
6 6.3

A fenced area where people keep animals like cows and sheep before transport or slaughter

is smaller and used mainly for brief handling and sorting rather than mass holding
holding pen
vscatch pen
2 3.1

A small fenced area where farmers keep animals before moving them

focuses on short-term holding specifically for handling or sorting tasks
cattle pen
vscatch pen
1 2.1

An enclosure for keeping cattle like cows and bulls

is general to many livestock and emphasizes short temporary holding for handling
holding yard
vscatch pen
1 5.1

A fenced area where animals like sheep wait briefly before someone moves them

is similar but used especially for short holding prior to handling
cow pen
vscatch pen
1 1.6

A fenced area where farmers keep cows

applies to any livestock and highlights temporary sorting or handling use
sheep pen
vscatch pen
1 1.2

A fenced area where a farmer keeps sheep

is broader, used for different animals and for brief handling or sorting
catching pen
vscatch pen
  • Jargon
5.5

A small fenced area for holding animals briefly to sort or check them

is the same idea but written in a slightly different form
holding paddock
vscatch pen
  • UK
5.8

An enclosed area where farmers keep animals for a short time before moving them

is more about holding for handling or sorting rather than sale preparation
hogpen
vscatch pen
  • US
2.5

A fenced area where pigs are kept

is more general across species and focuses on short-term holding for handling
pinfold
vscatch pen
  • Archaic
9.9

An enclosure where stray animals are kept until their owners get them back

is about temporary holding for handling or sorting rather than owner reclamation

How Big

corral
  • US
30 5.3
paddock
8 3.4
catch pen
  • Specialized
6.3
pen
63 3.5
stall
83 2.7

Surface Forms

catch pen singular
catch pens plural

Morphology

catch + pen

The meaning 'a pen used to catch or hold animals' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'catch' (to seize) with 'pen' (an enclosure). This compositional pattern — an enclosure for catching — is literal and parallels constructions in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The noun catch pen comes from farm work: a small pen is a fenced area and catch means 'to catch or hold' animals. Farmers put animals into a catch pen for a short time to sort or treat them, so the name now means a small place used to hold animals temporarily.