Word of the Day

: August 7, 2021

pink

verb PINK

What It Means

1 a : to perforate in an ornamental pattern

b : to cut a saw-toothed edge on

2 a : pierce, stab

b : to wound by irony, criticism, or ridicule

pink in Context

"I've pinked myself many times on colorful map pins and been nicked by damaged wire spiral bindings." — Tim Alton, The Indianapolis Business Journal, 23 Aug. 2012

"They pinked the edges of embossed wallpaper squares and punched holes in the squares for rings that hold cover and pages intact." — Mary Alice Powell, The Toledo (Ohio) Blade, 8 Feb. 2020

Did You Know?

The verb pink referring to perforation and piercing is from a Middle English word meaning "to thrust." It dates to the early 16th century whereas the noun referring to the color pink and its related adjective date to the 17th and 18th centuries, respectively.