pin

¹pin

noun \ˈpin\

Definition of PIN

1

a : a piece of solid material (as wood or metal) used especially for fastening things together or as a support by which one thing may be suspended from another b obsolete : the center peg of a target; also : the center itself c : something that resembles a pin especially in slender elongated form <an electrical connector pin> d (1) : one of the pieces constituting the target in various games (as bowling) (2) : the peg at which a quoit is pitched (3) : the staff of the flag marking a hole on a golf course e : a peg for regulating the tension of the strings of a musical instrument f : the part of a key stem that enters a lock g : a belaying pin

2

a (1) : a very thin small pointed metal pin with a head used especially for fastening cloth (2) : little, trifle <bother them all! I don't care a pin about them — Bram Stoker> b : an ornament or emblem fastened to clothing with a pin c (1) : bobby pin (2) : hairpin (3) : safety pin

3

: leg —usually used in plural <wobbly on his pins>

4

: a fall in wrestling

Examples of PIN

1. He handed out pins with the peace sign on them.
2. <a cat that was still a little unsteady on its pins after anesthesia>

Origin of PIN

Middle English, from Old English pinn (akin to Old High German pfinn peg), perhaps from Latin pinna quill, feather — more at pen

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to PIN

Synonyms: leg

Related Words: member; foreleg, forelimb; calf, drumstick, ham, shank, shin, thigh

[+]more[-]hide

Rhymes with PIN

bin, blin, chin, din, fin, Finn, Fyn, gin, grin, Gwyn, hin, in, inn, kin, linn, Lynn, shin, Shin, sin, skin, spin, thin, tin, twin, whin, win, wynn, yin, zin