PIN
/pin/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A thin piece of metal with a sharp point and a round head: A small, stiff wire used for fastening pieces of cloth or paper together temporarily.
- A short, slender piece of wood or metal: An object used as a support, fastener, marker, or part of a mechanism.
- A piece of jewelry: A decorative item with a pin and clasp to attach it to clothing.
- A leg (informal): A colloquial term for a person's leg.
- A target in bowling: One of the club-shaped wooden targets arranged in a triangle.
Verb:
- To attach or fasten: To use a pin to hold something in place or join things together.
- To hold firmly in one position: To prevent someone or something from moving.
- To assign blame or responsibility: To fix responsibility for something, often unfairly, on someone.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- She used a pin to hold the pattern to the fabric.
- He bought a beautiful diamond pin for his lapel.
- The map had a pin marking our destination.
- After the accident, he was weak on his pins.
Verb:
- Please pin the notice to the bulletin board.
- The fallen tree pinned the hiker to the ground.
- They tried to pin the crime on an innocent man.
Advanced Usage
"to pin down": To force someone to be specific or make a definite decision; to identify something precisely.
- It's hard to pin down the exact cause of the problem.
- The reporter tried to pin the mayor down on a date for the policy change.
"to pin one's hopes on": To rely heavily on someone or something for success.
- She pinned all her hopes on winning the scholarship.
"to pin something on someone": To assign blame or responsibility to someone.
- You can't just pin the failure on the new team member.
Variants and Related Words
- Safety pin (n): A pin with a clasp to cover the point.
- He fastened the diaper with a safety pin.
- Hairpin (n): A U-shaped pin for holding hair in place.
- Drawing pin (n) / Thumbtack (n): A short pin with a broad, flat head, used for fastening papers to a board.
- Pinned (adj): Held fast or trapped.
- The wrestler was pinned to the mat.
Synonyms
- Noun: Brooch, clip, fastener, tack, peg, dowel.
- Verb: Attach, fasten, fix, secure, immobilize, hold down.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Pin up: To fasten something in a raised or visible position.
- He pinned up the poster on his wall.
- Pin back: To fasten something so it is held back.
- She pinned back her hair while she worked.
Related Idioms
- On pins and needles: In a state of nervous anticipation or anxiety.
- I was on pins and needles waiting for the test results.
- (I don't care) two pins: To not care at all (used for emphasis).
- He doesn't care two pins about what they think.
- Quick on one's pins: Fast on one's feet; agile.
- The goalkeeper is very quick on his pins.
Noun
- a club-shaped wooden object used in bowling; set up in triangular groups of ten as the target
- a holder attached to the gunwale of a boat that holds the oar in place and acts as a fulcrum for rowing
- a small slender (often pointed) piece of wood or metal used to support or fasten or attach things
- flagpole used to mark the position of the hole on a golf green
- cylindrical tumblers consisting of two parts that are held in place by springs; when they are aligned with a key the bolt can be thrown
- axis consisting of a short shaft that supports something that turns
- informal terms for the leg
- fever left him weak on his sticks
- a number you choose and use to gain access to various accounts
- small markers inserted into a surface to mark scores or define locations etc.
- when a wrestler's shoulders are forced to the mat
- a piece of jewelry that is pinned onto the wearer's garment
Verb
- immobilize a piece
- pierce with a pin
- pin down the butterfly
- attach or fasten with pins or as if with pins
- pin the needle to the shirt. pin the blame on the innocent man
- to hold fast or prevent from moving
- The child was pinned under the fallen tree