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pin

noun, verb — 34 senses

pin

noun

/ˈpɪn/ · [ˈpʰɪn]

Etymology

From Middle English pinne, from Old English pinn (“pin, peg, bolt”), from Proto-Germanic *pinnaz, *pinnō, *pint- (“protruding point, peak, peg, pin, nail”), from Proto-Indo-European *bend- (“protruding object, pointed peg, nail, edge”). Related to pen (“enclosure”). Cognate with Dutch pin (“peg, pin”), Low German pin, pinne (“pin, point, nail, peg”), German Pinn, Pinne (“pin, tack, peg”), Bavarian Pfonzer, Pfunzer (“sharpened point”), Danish pind (“pin, pointed stick”), Norwegian pinn (“stick”), Swedish pinne (“peg, rod, stick”), Icelandic pinni (“pin”). More at pintle. No relation to classical Latin pinna (“fin, flipper, wing-like appendage, wing, feather”), which was extended to mean "ridge, peak, point" (compare pinnacle), and often confused with Latin penna (“wing, feather”). More at feather and pen (Etymology 3).

24 senses
  1. 1A needle without an eye (usually) made of drawn-out…
  2. 2A small nail with a head and a sharp point.
  3. 3A cylinder often of wood or metal used to fasten or as a…
  4. 4The victory condition of holding the opponent's…
  5. 5A slender object specially designed for use in a…
  6. 6A leg.
  7. 7Any of the individual connecting elements of a multipole…
  8. 8A piece of jewellery that is attached to clothing with a pin.
  9. 9A simple accessory that can be attached to clothing with…
  10. 10Either a scenario in which moving a lesser piece to…
  11. 11The flagstick: the flag-bearing pole which marks the…
  12. 12The spot at the exact centre of the house (the target area)
  13. 13The spot at the exact centre of the target, originally a…
  14. 14A mood, a state of being.
  15. 15One of a row of pegs in the side of an ancient drinking…
  16. 16Caligo.
  17. 17A thing of small value; a trifle.
  18. 18A peg in musical instruments for increasing or relaxing…
  19. 19A short shaft, sometimes forming a bolt, a part of which…
  20. 20The tenon of a dovetail joint.
  21. 21A size of brewery cask, equal to half a firkin, or…
  22. 22A pinball machine.
  23. 23A small cylindrical object which blocks the rotation of…
  24. 24An injection of PEDs.
1

A needle without an eye (usually) made of drawn-out steel wire with one end sharpened and the other flattened or rounded into a head, used for fastening.

  • With pins of adamant / And chains they made all fast.1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
2

A small nail with a head and a sharp point.

3

A cylinder often of wood or metal used to fasten or as a bearing between two parts.

  • Pull the pin out of the grenade before throwing it at the enemy.
4

Government, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Martial arts, Military, Politics, Professional wrestling, Sports, War, Wrestling The victory condition of holding the opponent's shoulders on the wrestling mat for a prescribed period of time.

5

A slender object specially designed for use in a specific game or sport, such as skittles or bowling.

6

In plural, Informal A leg.

  • I'm not so good on my pins these days.
7

Business, Electrical engineering, Electricity, Electromagnetism, Energy, Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics Any of the individual connecting elements of a multipole electrical connector.

  • The UK standard connector for domestic mains electricity has three pins.
8

A piece of jewellery that is attached to clothing with a pin.

9

US A simple accessory that can be attached to clothing with a pin or fastener, often round and bearing a design, logo or message, and used for decoration, identification or to show political affiliation, etc.

10

Board games, Chess, Games Either a scenario in which moving a lesser piece to escape from attack would expose a more valuable piece to being taken instead, or one where moving a piece is impossible as it would place the king in check.

11

Golf, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports The flagstick: the flag-bearing pole which marks the location of a hole

12

Ball games, Curling, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports The spot at the exact centre of the house (the target area)

  • The shot landed right on the pin.
13

Archery, Government, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Martial arts, Military, Politics, Sports, War The spot at the exact centre of the target, originally a literal pin that fastened the target in place.

  • For kings are clouts that euery man ſhoots at, Our Crowne the pin that thouſands ſeeke to cleaue.c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene iv:
  • the very pin of his heart cleftc. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv]:
14

Obsolete A mood, a state of being.

  • Hee sett Promethius, on a merrye pynn, / Whoe dranke soe devillishly, that there he gott / A terrible heartburninge, […]c. 1631–1633 (first performance), [John Clavell], edited by John Henry Pyle Pafford and W[alter] W[ilson] Greg, The Soddered Citizen (The Malone Society Reprints; 82), London: […] [F]or the Malone Society by John Johnson at the Oxford University Press, published 1936, →OCLC, Act II, scene v, folio 14ᵃ, page 45, lines 1030–1032:
  • he had made the sign of the Cross on his head; for he was then on a merry pin and full of jearing1653, Henry More, An Antidote against Atheisme, or An Appeal to the Natural Faculties of the Minde of Man, whether There Be Not a God, London: […] Roger Daniel, […], →OCLC:
15

One of a row of pegs in the side of an ancient drinking cup to mark how much each person should drink.

16

Medicine, Sciences Obsolete Caligo.

  • Blind with the pin and webc. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
17

A thing of small value; a trifle.

  • He […] did not care a pin for her.1712 February 17 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “WEDNESDAY, February 7, 1711–1712”, in The Spectator, number 295; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume III, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:
18

A peg in musical instruments for increasing or relaxing the tension of the strings.

19

Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences A short shaft, sometimes forming a bolt, a part of which serves as a journal.

20

The tenon of a dovetail joint.

21

Beverages, Brewing, Business, Food, Lifestyle, Manufacturing UK A size of brewery cask, equal to half a firkin, or eighth of a barrel.

  • Our ground crew were lodged in the main station, but they came to the cottage for a party when operations for the night had been cancelled and we had a new ‘gong’ (decoration) to celebrate. On these occasions we always installed a pin of bitter.1978, Hugh Verity, chapter 2, in We landed by moonlight, Manchester: Crécy Publishing, →ISBN, page 22=:
22

Informal A pinball machine.

  • I spent most of my time in the arcade playing pins.
  • Attracted by game operation, many invested heavily in pins and rolldowns prior to last spring.1949, Billboard, volume 61, page 82:
23

A small cylindrical object which blocks the rotation of a pin-tumbler lock when the incorrect key is inserted.

24

Bodybuilding, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports Slang An injection of PEDs.

Synonyms
nail, tack, peg, skittle, brooch
Derived terms
197 termsangels-dancing-on-the-head-of-a-pin, angels dancing on the head of a pin, axlepin, banking pin, belaying pin, bitt-pin, bobby pin, breastpin, breech pin, bright as a new pin, candlepin, care a pin, centerpin, centrepin, clean as a new pin, clevis pin, clothespin, clothes pin, corking pin, cotter pin, could hear a pin drop, coupling pin, crank pin, crankpin, crimping pin, crisping pin, cute as a pin, depin, diaper pin, drawing pin, driftpin, duckpin, endpin, escutcheon pin, Eve's pin, eyepin, firing pin, five-pin, five-pin bowling, gudgeon pin, hairpin, hair pin, hatpin, headpin, hit-a-pin bagatelle, hook pin, Jesus pin, kettle-pin, kilt pin, kingpin, kirby pin, lockpin, micropin, minuten pin, multipin, nappy pin, neat as a new pin, neat as a pin, neuropin, ninepin, nosepin, on a pin, one could hear a pin drop, on pins and needles, panel pin, picket pin, pinafore, pin and web, pinback, pin bagatelle, pinball, pinboard, pin bone, pinboy, pin-brained, pin camera, pincase, pincheck, pincloth, pin curl, pincushion, pin cushion, pin-cushion, pin deck, pindick, pindot, pin drill, pin-dropping, pin-eyed, pinfall, pinfeather, pinfeathered, pinfinger, pinfire, pinfish, pin grass, pinhead, pin-head, pin-headed, pinheaded, pin header, pinhold, pinholder, pinhole, pin-hole, pinhook, pinlay, pinless, pin lichen, pinlike, pinmaker, pinmaking, pinman, pin mill, pin-money, pin money, pinner, pin oak, pin of shame, pinout, pin-pen merger, pinpoint, pin-point, pin pool, pin-prick, pinprick, pin-pricked, pins and needles, pinscape, pinscreen, pin seal, pin-setter, pin setter, pinsetter, pin setting, pinsetting, pin-sharp, pinspot, pinspotter, pinspotting, pin squat, pinstripe, pin-stripe, pinstriped, pin-striped, pintable, pintail, pintailed, pin-tailed, pin-tailed sandgrouse, pin-tailed snipe, Pinterest, pintle, pintuck, pin-up, pinup, pinwale, pinweed, pinwheel, pinworks, pinworm, pivot pin, pole-pin, pole-pin-strap, polypin, pork, pull the pin, push pin, pushpin, push-pin, put a pin in, put in the pin, rolling-pin, rolling pin, row of pins, safety pin, scarfpin, schoolgirl pin, seatpin, so quiet one can hear a pin drop, so quiet one could hear a pin drop, so quiet you can hear a pin drop, split pin, spring pin, stickpin, tailpin, taper pin, ten-pin, ten-pin bowling, tenpins, tholepin, tie pin, tiepin, un-pin-downable, web and pin, wrist pin, yoke-pin
Related terms
needle
Hyponyms
breastpin, absolute pin, relative pin, partial pin

pin

verb
Etymology

From Middle English pinne, from Old English pinn (“pin, peg, bolt”), from Proto-Germanic *pinnaz, *pinnō, *pint- (“protruding point, peak, peg, pin, nail”), from Proto-Indo-European *bend- (“protruding object, pointed peg, nail, edge”). Related to pen (“enclosure”). Cognate with Dutch pin (“peg, pin”), Low German pin, pinne (“pin, point, nail, peg”), German Pinn, Pinne (“pin, tack, peg”), Bavarian Pfonzer, Pfunzer (“sharpened point”), Danish pind (“pin, pointed stick”), Norwegian pinn (“stick”), Swedish pinne (“peg, rod, stick”), Icelandic pinni (“pin”). More at pintle. No relation to classical Latin pinna (“fin, flipper, wing-like appendage, wing, feather”), which was extended to mean "ridge, peak, point" (compare pinnacle), and often confused with Latin penna (“wing, feather”). More at feather and pen (Etymology 3).

9 senses
  1. 1To fasten or attach (something) with a pin.
  2. 2To cause (a piece) to be in a pin.
  3. 3To pin down (someone).
  4. 4To enclose; to confine; to pen; to pound.
  5. 5To attach (an icon, application, message etc.) to…
  6. 6To fix (an array in memory, a security certificate…
  7. 7To cause an analog gauge to reach the stop pin at the…
  8. 8To inject for performance enhancement.
  9. 9To move a piece onto a blot, preventing the piece from…
1

Often To fasten or attach (something) with a pin.

Followed by a preposition such as "to" or "on"

2

Board games, Chess, Games To cause (a piece) to be in a pin.

Usually passive voice

3

Government, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Martial arts, Military, Politics, Sports, War, Wrestling To pin down (someone).

  • He pinned his opponent on the mat.
4

To enclose; to confine; to pen; to pound.

5

Computing, Engineering, Graphical user interface, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences To attach (an icon, application, message etc.) to another item so that it persists.

  • to pin a folder to the taskbar
6

Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Programming, Sciences To fix (an array in memory, a security certificate, etc.) so that it cannot be modified.

  • When marshaling data, the interop marshaler can copy or pin the data being marshaled.
  • […] you can use the GCHandle class mentioned earlier to pin a heap block until you explicitly unpin it.2012, Ian Griffiths, Programming C# 5.0, page 244:
7

To cause an analog gauge to reach the stop pin at the high end of the range.

  • Now I need to pin those needles.1979, Al Greenwood, Lou Gramm, “Rev on the Red Line”, in Head Games:
8

Bodybuilding, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports Ambitransitive, Slang To inject for performance enhancement.

9

Backgammon, Games To move a piece onto a blot, preventing the piece from further movement.

Derived terms
mispin, pin a rose on your nose, pin back, pin back one's ears, pin down, pin in, pinnable, pinnee, pin on, pin one's ears back, pin one's hopes on, pin the meter, pin the tail on the donkey, pin up, repin, underpin, unpinnable

pin

noun
1

A cataract of the eye.

Related terms
pannus, pin and web, web and pin

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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