Definition of PIN

noun \ ˈpin \

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

Definition of pin

1 a : a piece of solid material (such 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 (such 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

See pin defined for English-language learners

See pin defined for kids

Examples of pin in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of pin from the Web

Josh Bechen Catholic Memorial | Senior The senior went 36-2 with 31 pins at 182 pounds to finish 183-24 as a Knight.

— BostonGlobe.com, "2017-18 Wrestling All-Scholastics," 14 Apr. 2018
Cloth diapers have evolved a lot since the traditional pre-fold with diaper pins.

— erin sauder, Elgin Courier-News, "Down to Business: Protecting babies' bottoms (and other parts) goal of Green Lil' Bums," 13 Apr. 2018
Alayna Magnan: @alaynamagnan Alayna Magnan is all about new-school quirk, with her cartoonish pin-up girls flaunting exaggerated features and vibrant color schemes.

— andrea alonso, Los Angeles Magazine, "12 L.A.-Based Women Tattoo Artists You Need to Follow on Instagram," 2 Apr. 2018
Celebrities at the Oscars this year also wore orange pins.

— amir vera, CNN, "World Trade Center glows orange for the March for Our Lives rallies," 24 Mar. 2018
Nelms did want to give her a shorter look, though, and faked a cut on Kristina with pins.

— refinery29.com, "8 Spring Looks That Celebrate The Beauty Of Natural Hair," 19 Mar. 2018
The spillway structure is a more than a mile and a half long-series of 350 bays, each with 20 wooden pins which naturally allow the rising waters of the river to trickle through.

— littice bacon-blood, NOLA.com, "Corps wants to open Bonnet Carre Spillway Thursday to avoid flooding in New Orleans," 5 Mar. 2018
Many lawmakers wore black in solidarity with the #MeToo movement to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night and some congressional members also adorned their clothes with pins in honor of Recy Taylor.

— NBC News, "'She spoke up': Lawmakers wear 'Recy' pins in honor of Recy Taylor," 31 Jan. 2018
Attendees also accessorized with Time's Up pins, vocally supported the campaign on the red carpet, and brought activists as dates to the ceremony.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Stars Will Wear White Roses on the Grammys Red Carpet to Support Time's Up," 26 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of pin

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

pin Synonyms

Synonyms

leg;

Related Words

member;

foreleg, forelimb;

calf, drumstick, ham, shank, shin, thigh;

verb

Definition of pin

pinned; pinning

transitive verb

1 a : to fasten, join, or secure with a pin

b : to hold fast or immobile

c : to present (a young woman) with a fraternity pin as a pledge of affection

2 a : fasten

pinned his hopes on a miracle

pin the blame on someone else

b : to assign the blame or responsibility for

pin the robbery on a night watchman

c : to define or determine clearly or precisely —usually used with down

it is hard to pin down exactly when things changed
—Katharine Whittemore

3 a : to make (a chess opponent's piece) unable to move without exposing the king to check or a valuable piece to capture

b of a wrestler : to secure a fall over (an opponent)

See pin defined for English-language learners

Examples of pin in a Sentence

She pinned a rose to her dress.
The general pinned the medal on the soldier.
She pinned up her hair.
He pinned a sign on the wall.
The passengers were pinned under the wreckage.
The guards pinned his arms to his sides.
She was pinned against the side of the car.

Recent Examples of pin from the Web

Tribal lines are quickly drawn and held, and fact becomes flightier, hard to pin down and easy to manipulate.

— jessica mendoza, The Christian Science Monitor, "In the Philippines, divided politics feed – and feed on – a divided web," 9 Apr. 2018
The mechanism behind hypnosis as a treatment for various skin conditions is hard to pin down, mainly because there are several factors that could be playing a role.

— sarah ban, SELF, "I Tried Hypnosis for Insomnia. Then My Skin Cleared Up.," 1 Apr. 2018
Exactly why Congress seems to have stalled on officially making those changes is hard to pin down.

— amber phillips, Washington Post, "Why has Congress stalled on fixing its sexual misconduct issue?," 30 Mar. 2018
Quarterback Lamar Jackson, Louisville’s main attraction, was once again hard to pin down Thursday at the team's pro day.

— jake lourim, The Courier-Journal, "On the field and at Louisville's pro day, Lamar Jackson remains elusive," 29 Mar. 2018
Geoff Dyer writes books that are easy to enjoy but hard to pin down.

— jennifer szalai, New York Times, "Geoff Dyer Takes to the Streets With Garry Winogrand," 28 Mar. 2018
The study of climate migration is still relatively new, and projections of just how many people might be driven from their homes as the world warms are hard to pin down.

— andrea thompson, Scientific American, "Wave of Climate Migration Looms, but It “Doesn't Have to Be a Crisis”," 23 Mar. 2018
Despite its multiple nominations, this category-defying and wholly unique film is not the kind of hard-to-pin down movie the Academy usually recognizes.

— laura demarco, cleveland.com, "Academy Awards 2018: "The Shape of Water" would be a worthy Best Picture," 3 Mar. 2018
Just when the Cincinnati fish fry became a specifically Catholic thing is hard to pin down.

— polly campbell, Cincinnati.com, "The history of the Cincinnati fish fry," 23 Feb. 2018

First Known Use of pin

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

adjective

Definition of pin

1 : of or relating to a pin

2 of leather : having a grain suggesting the heads of pins

Recent Examples of pin from the Web

Timex, whose watch output through the 1970s was still mostly pin-lever mechanicals, had become the world’s top watch company in sales through a policy of cut-throat price-cutting that wiped out competitors.

— Bloomberg.com, "Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Meets With President Trump," 27 Feb. 2018

First Known Use of pin

circa 1523

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

abbreviation \ ˈpin \

Definition of PIN

personal identification number

See PIN defined for English-language learners

PIN Defined for English Language Learners

noun

Definition of pin for English Language Learners

: a thin, pointed piece of stiff wire with a rounded head at one end that is used especially for fastening pieces of cloth
: a thin, pointed piece of stiff wire with a decoration at one end
: a small usually circular object that has writing and often a picture on it and that has a pin on the back so that it can be fastened to clothing, bags, etc.

verb

Definition of pin for English Language Learners

: to fasten or attach (something) with a pin
: to prevent or stop (someone or something) from moving by holding or pressing firmly against something

PIN Defined for Kids

noun \ ˈpin \

Definition of pin for Students

1 : a small pointed piece of wire with a rounded head used especially for fastening pieces of cloth

2 : something (as an ornament or badge) fastened to the clothing by a pin

3 : a slender pointed piece (as of wood or metal) usually having the shape of a cylinder used to fasten articles together or in place

4 : one of ten pieces set up as the target in bowling

verb

Definition of pin for Students

pinned; pinning

1 : to fasten or join with a pin She pinned a sign on the wall.

2 : to prevent or be prevented from moving

The guards pinned his arms to his sides.

Medical Dictionary

noun \ ˈpin \

medical Definition of pin

1 : a metal rod driven into or through a fractured bone to immobilize it

2 : a metal rod driven into the root of a reconstructed tooth to provide support for a crown or into the jaw to provide support for an artificial tooth