pin

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Synonyms 1.3.2 Derived terms 1.3.3 Translations 1.3.4 See also 1.4 Verb 1.4.1 Translations 1.4.2 Derived terms 2 Dutch 2.1 Pronunciation 2.2 Noun 3 French 3.1 Etymology 3.2 Pronunciation 3.2.1 Homophones 3.3 Noun 4 Mandarin 4.1 Pinyin syllable 4.1.1 Usage notes 5 Romanian 5.1 Noun

[edit] English

Wikipedia

[edit] Etymology

Old English pinn, from Germanic *penn-, borrowed from classical Latin penna ‘feather, wing’. Cognate with Dutch pin, German Pinne, Norwegian pinn ‘knitting-needle’.

[edit] Pronunciation

• enPR: pĭn, IPA: /pɪn/, SAMPA: /pIn/
•  Audio (CA)^{help, file}

  Rhymes: -ɪn

[edit] Noun

pin (plural pins)

1. A small device, made (usually) of drawn-out steel wire with one end sharpened and the other flattened or rounded into a head, used for fastening.
2. A small nail with a head and a sharp point.
3. A cylinder often of wood or metal used to fasten or as a bearing between two parts.
4. A slender object specially designed for use in a specific game or sport, such as skittles or bowling.
5. (in plural pins; informal) A leg.

   I'm not so good on my pins these days

6. Any of the individual connecting elements of a multi-pole electrical connector.

   The UK standard connector for domestic mains electricity is has three pins.

7. A piece of jewellery that is attached to clothing with a pin.
8. (US) A simple accessory that can be attached to clothing with a pin or fastener, often round and bearing a design, logo or message, and used for decoration, identification or to show political affiliation, etc.
9. (chess) A scenario in which the movement of a lesser piece that is under attack and moves away would reveal a more valuable piece.
10. (curling) The spot at the exact centre of the house (the target area)

    The shot landed right on the pin.

[edit] Synonyms

• (small nail): nail, tack
• (cylinder of wood or metal): peg
• (games): skittle
• (jewellery fastened with a pin): brooch
• (accessory): badge

[edit] Derived terms

belaying pin clothespin, clothes pin drawing pin gudgeon pin on pins and needles pincushion pinhead

pinhole pinner pinprick pins and needles pintle pin-up, pinup safety pin

[edit] Translations

informal: leg

jewellery attached with a pin See brooch

[edit] See also

• needle

[edit] Verb

to pin (third-person singular simple present pins, present participle pinning, simple past and past participle pinned)

1. (often followed by a preposition such as to or on) To fasten or attach (something) with a pin.
2. (chess, usually in the passive) To cause (a piece) to be in a pin.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Derived terms

• pin down
• pin in
• pin on
• pin the tail on the donkey
• pin up
• underpin

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[edit] Dutch

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /pɪn/

[edit] Noun

pin m.

1. peg, pin

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[edit] French

[edit] Etymology

Latin pinus.

[edit] Pronunciation

•  audio^{help, file}
• IPA: /pɛ̃/

[edit] Homophones

• pain

[edit] Noun

pin m. (plural pins)

1. pine, pine tree

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[edit] Mandarin

[edit] Pinyin syllable

pin

1. A transliteration of any of a number of Chinese characters properly represented as having one of four tones, pīn, pín, pǐn or pìn.

[edit] Usage notes

English transcriptions of Chinese speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Chinese language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

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[edit] Romanian

[edit] Noun

pin m

1. pine