pinhole

noun

pin·​hole ˈpin-ˌhōl 

: a small hole made by, for, or as if by a pin

Synonyms

• puncture
• slit

Examples of pinhole in a Sentence

The water was leaking through a pinhole in the pipe.

pinholes in a bedsheet will look like stars if you shine a light from behind it

Recent Examples on the Web

On versions of the Luna, inspired by the phases of the moon, and the Song bucket bag were the work of Fu Xiaotong, whose practice centers around pinhole work and sculpture inspired by traditional Chinese ink painting. —Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025

The remote also has a pinhole microphone near the top for voice control, as well as dedicated service buttons for Amazon Alexa, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, LG Channels, Netflix, and Sling. —PC Magazine, 7 Oct. 2025

This is what the round red pinhole is for—simply hold it up to one of your eyes and look through it, scanning the room for a glowing red light. —Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 2025

One day while driving, my vision began to shrink, like the end of a movie when the camera reduces to a pinhole. —Lisa K. Friedman, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pinhole

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• control
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol

Kids Definition

pinhole

noun

pin·​hole -ˌhōl 

: a very small hole made by or as if by a pin