I. ˈpinə̇kəl, -nēk- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English pinacle, from Middle French, from Late Latin pinnaculum gable, small wing, diminutive of Latin pinna battlement, feather, wing, alteration of penna feather, wing — more at pen
1. : an upright architectural member generally ending in a small spire and used especially in Gothic construction to give additional weight to a buttress or an angle pier : finial
2. : a structure or formation suggesting a pinnacle's height and tapering slenderness ; specifically : a lofty peak
three silent pinnacles of aged snow — Alfred Tennyson
3. : the highest point of development or achievement : acme
men who … reached the pinnacle of their profession — advt
on a pinnacle of happiness — Van Wyck Brooks
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II. transitive verb
( pinnacled ; pinnacled ; pinnacling -k(ə)liŋ ; pinnacles )
1. : to surmount with a pinnacle
pinnacle a pediment
2. : to raise or rear on or as if on a pinnacle
desired not to be pinnacled … but to sink into the crowd — John Buchan