pinion

1 of 3

noun (1)

pin·​ion ˈpin-yən 

1

: the terminal section of a bird's wing including the carpus, metacarpus, and phalanges

broadly : wing

2

: feather, quill

also : flight feathers

pinioned

ˈpin-yənd 

adjective

pinion

2 of 3

verb

pinioned; pinioning; pinions

transitive verb

1

a

: to disable or restrain by binding the arms

b

: to bind fast : shackle

2

: to restrain (a bird) from flight especially by cutting off the pinion of one wing

pinion

3 of 3

noun (2)

1

: a gear with a small number of teeth designed to mesh with a larger wheel or rack

2

: the smaller of a pair or the smallest of a train of gear wheels

Synonyms

Verb

• bind
• chain
• enchain
• enfetter
• fetter
• gyve
• handcuff
• manacle
• shackle
• trammel

Examples of pinion in a Sentence

Verb

They pinioned his arms behind his back.

Joan of Arc was pinioned to a stake and burned as a heretic.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In the club lounge, Cy the Cynic told us that the feathers at a bird’s wingtip are called pinions. —Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 28 May 2024

Hyundai The pinion gear multilink from a Uni Wheel drive system. —Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 1 Dec. 2023

Verb

Haas thus theorized that the victim had been pinioned by both heels to the front of the upright beam either with their legs splayed open, frog-like, or with their knees bent and turned to one side. —Fredrick Kunkle, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Apr. 2023

There is only one substantial object in the show, a set of wooden stocks for pinioning the legs of multiple enslaved people. —Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, probably modification of Anglo-French *empignon, enpenoun flight feathers, ultimately from Vulgar Latin *pinnion-, pinnio, from Latin pinna feather — more at pen

Noun (2)

French pignon, from Middle French peignon, from peigne comb, from Latin pecten — more at pectinate

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1558, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pinion

1 of 3 noun

pin·​ion ˈpin-yən 

1

: the end part of a bird's wing

also : a bird's wing

2

: a feather of a bird's pinion

pinion

2 of 3 verb

1

: to restrain especially by binding the arms

2

: to prevent a bird from flying especially by cutting off the pinion of one wing

pinion

3 of 3 noun

1

: a gear with a small number of teeth designed to fit together with a larger wheel or rack

2

: the smallest of a set of gearwheels