fountain pen

American  

noun

fountain pens plural

1. a pen with a refillable reservoir that provides a continuous supply of usually fluid ink to its point.

---

fountain pen British  

noun

1. a pen the nib of which is supplied with ink from a cartridge or a reservoir in its barrel

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fountain pens
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fountain pen

First recorded in 1700–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fountain pen

A further £4,225 was spent on a Montblanc Starwalker World Time fountain pen in March of that year, one of a number of pens purchased for four-figure amounts.

From BBC ● May 25, 2026

American inventor Louis E. Waterman is credited for developing and patenting the first modern fountain pen in 1884—one that could store ink inside and eliminate the need for a separate ink pot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2025

He wrote with a fountain pen, not a computer.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2025

Decorators also work at wheels and with specialized tools, like one instrument that resembles a fountain pen.

From New York Times ● Jun. 3, 2023

On one occasion she lost her fountain pen.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez