bodkin

noun

bod·​kin ˈbäd-kən 

1

a

: dagger, stiletto

b

: a sharp slender instrument for making holes in cloth

c

: an ornamental hairpin shaped like a stiletto

2

: a blunt needle with a large eye for drawing tape or ribbon through a loop or hem

Examples of bodkin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The bodkins were helpful tools that could double as hairpins. —Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 11 Aug. 2025

Icke also occasionally cues up some Bob Dylan songs, chosen for their on-the-bodkin lyrics. —Helen Shaw, Vulture, 30 June 2022

Punishment for cursing or disparaging a clergyman was having a bodkin — a large needle — driven through the tongue. —Michael E. Ruane, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2017

Word History

Etymology

Middle English bodekin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for bodkin

• godkin

Kids Definition

bodkin

noun

bod·​kin ˈbäd-kən 

1

a

: dagger sense 1, stiletto

b

: a sharp slender instrument for making holes in cloth

2

: a blunt needle with a large eye for drawing tape or ribbon through a loop or hem