plural pins
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
b
: an ornament or emblem fastened to clothing with a pin
3
: leg
—usually used in plural
wobbly on his pins
4
: a fall in wrestling
pinned; pinning; pins
1
a
: to fasten, join, or secure with a pin
She pinned the corsage to her dress.
… all the big brass is standing at attention and the biggest brass of all is waiting to pin a medal on my chest …—
Ray Russell
Ray Russell
b
: to hold fast or immobile
The three men held him pinned against the wall …—Joseph Conrad
Joseph ConradRescue crews freed the people who were pinned under the wreckage.
(figurative) They were pinned down by enemy fire.
see also pin down
c
: to present (a young woman) with a fraternity pin as a pledge of affection
2
a
: to make (something) contingent or dependent : fasten
—usually used with on
Pinterest is pinning its future on Wall Street, with the digital scrapbooking site … filing for an initial public offering of stock.—Rebecca Bellan
see also pin one's hopes on
Rebecca Bellan
b
: to assign the blame or responsibility for
They tried to pin the robbery on a night watchman
see also pin the blame on
c
: to define or determine clearly or precisely
—usually used with down
it is hard to pin down exactly when things changed—Katharine Whittemore
Katharine Whittemore
d
computers
: to fix (something, such as a message, a file, or an icon) in place for convenient viewing or access
This is one of the most useful features of the new Twitter—you can pin a tweet on your profile so that it stays on top …—Luana Spinetti
Luana Spinetti"Need to pin a file or a message to the channel so people can access it quickly and easily? No problem!" Slack said in a blog post on the new feature today.—Jordan Novet
Jordan NovetMany companies scrambled to get their heads around how to use their existing technology infrastructure to work remotely. For them, Microsoft Teams was just an icon pinned to their menu bar that lay dormant.—Property Week
Property Week3
a
: to make (a chess opponent's piece) unable to move without exposing the king to check or a valuable piece to capture
The white queen pins the black bishop.
b
of a wrestler
: to secure a fall (see fall entry 2 sense 9c(1)) over (an opponent)
In five years of wrestling at Exeter, I probably pinned no more than a half-dozen opponents. I was almost never pinned—only twice, in fact.—John Irving
John Irving1
: of or relating to a pin
2
of leather
: having a grain suggesting the heads of pins
personal identification number
Synonyms
Examples of pin in a Sentence
Noun
He handed out pins with the peace sign on them.
a cat that was still a little unsteady on its pins after anesthesia
Verb
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.
See More
Recent Examples on the WebAngela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 25 Nov. 2023
First, the two employees on the morning shift affixed Palestinian flag pins to their aprons.
—Katherine Rosman, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2023
Even if the weather is turning colder and the pins are pulled at your home course, this week is an important time in every golfer’s yearly calendar: holiday deal time.
—Red Fabbri, Travel + Leisure, 20 Nov. 2023
Brewster handed Tourmaline the iPad, which displayed a glitchy map of the city with pins marking the location of each new statue.
—Adam Iscoe, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
The pin debuted at Paris Fashion Week on the lapel of supermodel Naomi Campbell.
—Victoria Song, The Verge, 19 Nov. 2023
The pin will sell for $699 with an additional $24 per month subscription fee for unlimited calling, texting, and data on T-Mobile’s network.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2023
Some of the response times shown in the official video are not great, with the pin taking several seconds to come back with a reply.
—Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 10 Nov. 2023
Watching from the balcony above, Princess Kate wore a cluster of poppies and a Royal Air Force pin on her black coat.
—Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 12 Nov. 2023
Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
Second-place team Cruz Control also shot to the top with Hunger Games and Troll points and is currently pinning its awards hopes on All of Us Strangers and Killers of the Flower Moon.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2023
The decision came over a month after an incident in which a hit-and-run victim became pinned under a Cruise vehicle and then was dragged 20 feet to the side of the road.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 20 Nov. 2023
However, many reports since have pinned the firing on an internal culture clash between Altman and OpenAI Chief Scientist Sutskever, with Sutskever annoyed at Altman pushing to launch GPTs when Sutskever is concerned about a future when autonomous AI may become potentially dangerous.
—Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 20 Nov. 2023
For the event, Shields wore her long, thick hair pulled up into a high updo pinned at the crown of her head, with lots of undone texture and volume.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 8 Nov. 2023
The latest developments come after one of Cruise’s self-driving cars failed to detect a pedestrian pinned underneath its vehicle and dragged her for about 20 feet, causing serious injuries.
—Trisha Thadani, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2023
During a Sunday interview with CNN, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pinned the responsibility for Palestinian civilian harm on Hamas for provoking Israel’s ire.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 13 Nov. 2023
The police pushed her friend to the ground, pinned him down for several minutes and arrested him.
—Erika Solomon, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2023
Essence Beauty Editors, Essence, 25 Oct. 2023
As a light and fussy sleeper, the enveloping bed, blackout curtains, and pin-drop silence did not go unnoticed.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 2 July 2023
This Best of Beauty-winning pick features one-inch ceramic plates that heat up to an optimum styling temperature of 365 degrees Fahrenheit to create pin-straight strands or soft waves in seconds.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 27 Mar. 2023
Jenni Kayne The celebrity-favorite fashion designer (Mandy Moore and Minka Kelly are fans) partnered with super-chic homegoods line Parachute to create two timeless items: a cozy alpaca throw and a pin-stripe linen duvet set, available in gray and ivory.
—Megan Stein, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2023
To really seal the deal, use a flat iron to get that pin-straight finish.
—Sabrina Talbert, Women's Health, 9 Mar. 2023
The user can zoom-in and see the individual notes and words with pin-sharp clarity.
—Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2011
To mark the occasion, Florence Pugh walked the red carpet with a new micro fringe, which had a deep side parting, while the rest of her hair was swept into an updo, with the ends fanned out in a pin-straight halo around her head.
—Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 19 Feb. 2023
First there's a race across a 2 millimeter distance, or the equivalent to the diameter of a pin head.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Feb. 2023
See More
Noun
The pictures included shots of Ferguson and his toddler rolling out dough with pins while images shared to his Instagram Story featured the father-son duo pinching butter and flour together in a mixing bowl.
—Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 25 Nov. 2023
First, the two employees on the morning shift affixed Palestinian flag pins to their aprons.
—Katherine Rosman, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2023
Even if the weather is turning colder and the pins are pulled at your home course, this week is an important time in every golfer’s yearly calendar: holiday deal time.
—Red Fabbri, Travel + Leisure, 20 Nov. 2023
Brewster handed Tourmaline the iPad, which displayed a glitchy map of the city with pins marking the location of each new statue.
—Adam Iscoe, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
The pin debuted at Paris Fashion Week on the lapel of supermodel Naomi Campbell.
—Victoria Song, The Verge, 19 Nov. 2023
The pin will sell for $699 with an additional $24 per month subscription fee for unlimited calling, texting, and data on T-Mobile’s network.
—Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 10 Nov. 2023
Some of the response times shown in the official video are not great, with the pin taking several seconds to come back with a reply.
—Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 10 Nov. 2023
Watching from the balcony above, Princess Kate wore a cluster of poppies and a Royal Air Force pin on her black coat.
—Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 12 Nov. 2023
Verb
Isn’t that one? Miller: There were way too many losing-type plays by the Chargers on Sunday to pin this one on just that penalty.
—Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
Second-place team Cruz Control also shot to the top with Hunger Games and Troll points and is currently pinning its awards hopes on All of Us Strangers and Killers of the Flower Moon.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2023
The decision came over a month after an incident in which a hit-and-run victim became pinned under a Cruise vehicle and then was dragged 20 feet to the side of the road.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 20 Nov. 2023
However, many reports since have pinned the firing on an internal culture clash between Altman and OpenAI Chief Scientist Sutskever, with Sutskever annoyed at Altman pushing to launch GPTs when Sutskever is concerned about a future when autonomous AI may become potentially dangerous.
—Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 20 Nov. 2023
For the event, Shields wore her long, thick hair pulled up into a high updo pinned at the crown of her head, with lots of undone texture and volume.
—Kara Nesvig, Allure, 8 Nov. 2023
The latest developments come after one of Cruise’s self-driving cars failed to detect a pedestrian pinned underneath its vehicle and dragged her for about 20 feet, causing serious injuries.
—Trisha Thadani, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2023
During a Sunday interview with CNN, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pinned the responsibility for Palestinian civilian harm on Hamas for provoking Israel’s ire.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 13 Nov. 2023
The police pushed her friend to the ground, pinned him down for several minutes and arrested him.
—Erika Solomon, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2023
Adjective
This includes her soft pink makeup and pin-thin eyebrows at the Billboard Awards in 2004, and curly, honey-brown hair and berry gloss at the SoulTrain Awards in 2007.
—Essence Beauty Editors, Essence, 25 Oct. 2023
As a light and fussy sleeper, the enveloping bed, blackout curtains, and pin-drop silence did not go unnoticed.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 2 July 2023
This Best of Beauty-winning pick features one-inch ceramic plates that heat up to an optimum styling temperature of 365 degrees Fahrenheit to create pin-straight strands or soft waves in seconds.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 27 Mar. 2023
Jenni Kayne The celebrity-favorite fashion designer (Mandy Moore and Minka Kelly are fans) partnered with super-chic homegoods line Parachute to create two timeless items: a cozy alpaca throw and a pin-stripe linen duvet set, available in gray and ivory.
—Megan Stein, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2023
To really seal the deal, use a flat iron to get that pin-straight finish.
—Sabrina Talbert, Women's Health, 9 Mar. 2023
The user can zoom-in and see the individual notes and words with pin-sharp clarity.
—Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2011
To mark the occasion, Florence Pugh walked the red carpet with a new micro fringe, which had a deep side parting, while the rest of her hair was swept into an updo, with the ends fanned out in a pin-straight halo around her head.
—Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 19 Feb. 2023
First there's a race across a 2 millimeter distance, or the equivalent to the diameter of a pin head.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Feb. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
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
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
circa 1523, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of pin was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing pin
Dictionary Entries Near pin
Cite this Entry
“Pin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pin. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
pin
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a piece of wood, metal, or plastic used especially for fastening things together or for hanging one thing from another
b
: something that resembles a pin especially in long slender form
a pin that makes an electrical connection
c
: one of the pieces that make up the target in various games (as bowling)
d
: 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
2
a
: a very thin small pointed metal pin with a head used especially for fastening cloth
b
: little entry 3 sense 1, trifle
doesn't care a pin what they think
c
: an ornament or emblem fastened to clothing with a pin
d
: a device (as a hairpin or safety pin) for fastening
pin
2 of 2 verb
pinned; pinning
1
a
: to fasten, join, or secure with or as if with a pin
b
: to prevent or be prevented from moving
pinned under the wreckage
2
: to assign the blame or responsibility for
Medical Definition
pin
1 of 3 noun1
: 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
pin
2 of 3 transitive verb
pinned; pinning
: to fasten, join, or secure with a pin
PIN
3 of 3 abbreviation
prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia
More from Merriam-Webster on pin
Nglish: Translation of pin for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of pin for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pin
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share