Word: pin Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *pinnaz Proto-West Germanic *pinn Old English pinn Middle English pinne English pin From Middle English pinne, from Old English pinn (“pin, peg, bolt”), from Proto-Germanic *pinnaz, *pinnō, *pint- (“protruding point, peak, peg, pin, nail”), from Proto-Indo-European *bend- (“protruding object, pointed peg, nail, edge”). Related to pen (“enclosure”). Cognate with Dutch pin (“peg, pin”), Low German pin, pinne (“pin, point, nail, peg”), German Pinn, Pinne (“pin, tack, peg”), Bavarian Pfonzer, Pfunzer (“sharpened point”), Danish pind (“pin, pointed stick”), Norwegian pinn (“stick”), Swedish pinne (“peg, rod, stick”), Icelandic pinni (“pin”). More at pintle. No relation to classical Latin pinna (“fin, flipper, wing-like appendage, wing, feather”), which was extended to mean "ridge, peak, point" (compare pinnacle), and often confused with Latin penna (“wing, feather”). More at feather and pen (Etymology 3). Pronunciation: /ˈpɪn/, [ˈpʰɪn] 1. A needle without an eye (usually) made of drawn-out steel wire with one end sharpened and the other flattened or rounded into a head, used for fastening. Example: With pins of adamant / And chains they made all fast. 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. Example: Pull the pin out of the grenade before throwing it at the enemy. 4. The victory condition of holding the opponent's shoulders on the wrestling mat for a prescribed period of time. 5. A slender object specially designed for use in a specific game or sport, such as skittles or bowling. 6. A leg. Labels: in-plural, informal Example: I'm not so good on my pins these days. 7. Any of the individual connecting elements of a multipole electrical connector. Example: The UK standard connector for domestic mains electricity has three pins. 8. A piece of jewellery that is attached to clothing with a pin. 9. 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. Labels: US 10. Either a scenario in which moving a lesser piece to escape from attack would expose a more valuable piece to being taken instead, or one where moving a piece is impossible as it would place the king in check. 11. The flagstick: the flag-bearing pole which marks the location of a hole 12. The spot at the exact centre of the house (the target area) Example: The shot landed right on the pin. 13. The spot at the exact centre of the target, originally a literal pin that fastened the target in place. Example: For kings are clouts that euery man ſhoots at, Our Crowne the pin that thouſands ſeeke to cleaue. Example: the very pin of his heart cleft 14. A mood, a state of being. Labels: obsolete Example: Hee sett Promethius, on a merrye pynn, / Whoe dranke soe devillishly, that there he gott / A terrible heartburninge, […] Example: he had made the sign of the Cross on his head; for he was then on a merry pin and full of jearing 15. One of a row of pegs in the side of an ancient drinking cup to mark how much each person should drink. 16. Caligo. Labels: obsolete Example: Blind with the pin and web 17. A thing of small value; a trifle. Example: He […] did not care a pin for her. 18. A peg in musical instruments for increasing or relaxing the tension of the strings. 19. A short shaft, sometimes forming a bolt, a part of which serves as a journal. 20. The tenon of a dovetail joint. 21. A size of brewery cask, equal to half a firkin, or eighth of a barrel. Labels: UK Example: Our ground crew were lodged in the main station, but they came to the cottage for a party when operations for the night had been cancelled and we had a new ‘gong’ (decoration) to celebrate. On these occasions we always installed a pin of bitter. 22. A pinball machine. Labels: informal Example: I spent most of my time in the arcade playing pins. Example: Attracted by game operation, many invested heavily in pins and rolldowns prior to last spring. 23. A small cylindrical object which blocks the rotation of a pin-tumbler lock when the incorrect key is inserted. 24. An injection of PEDs. Labels: slang