/ pɪn; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
FOR FASTENING / JOINING
1.
a short thin piece of stiff wire with a sharp point at one end and a round head at the other, used especially for fastening together pieces of cloth when sewing
—see also bobby pin , drawing pin , hairpin , linchpin , pins and needles , safety pin
JEWELLERY
2.
a short thin piece of stiff wire with a sharp point at one end and an item of decoration at the other, worn as jewellery :
a diamond pin
—see also tiepin
3.
( especially NAmE ) = brooch
BADGE
4.
( especially NAmE ) a type of badge that is fastened with a pin at the back :
He supports the group and wears its pin on his lapel.
MEDICAL
5.
a piece of steel used to support a bone in your body when it has been broken
ELECTRICAL
6.
one of the metal parts that stick out of an electric plug and fit into a socket :
a 2-pin plug
—picture at plug
IN GAMES
7.
a wooden or plastic object that is shaped like a bottle and that players try to knock down in games such as bowling
—see also ninepins , tenpin
IN GOLF
8.
a stick with a flag on top of it, placed in a hole so that players can see where they are aiming for
—see also linchpin
LEGS
9.
pins [ pl. ] ( informal ) a person's legs
ON SMALL BOMB
10.
a small piece of metal on a hand grenade that stops it from exploding and is pulled out just before the hand grenade is thrown
•
IDIOMS
- for two pins
—more at hear
■ verb
( -nn- ) [ vn + adv. / prep. ]
FASTEN / JOIN
1.
to attach sth onto another thing or fasten things together with a pin, etc. :
She pinned the badge onto her jacket.
A message had been pinned to the noticeboard.
Pin all the pieces of material together.
She always wears her hair pinned back.
PREVENT MOVEMENT
2.
to make sb unable to move by holding them or pressing them against sth :
They pinned him against a wall and stole his wallet.
He grabbed her arms and pinned them to her sides.
They found him pinned under the wreckage of the car.
•
IDIOMS
- pin (all) your hopes on sb/sth | pin your faith on sb/sth
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- pin sb down
- pin sb down (to sth / doing sth)
- pin sth down
- pin sth on sb
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Old English pinn , of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch pin pin, peg, from Latin pinna point, tip, edge.