clothes-pin

She hangs the wet shirt on the line with a wooden clothes-pin.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A clip or peg for fastening clothes to a line: "clothes-pin" refers to a small device, typically made of wood or plastic, used to secure laundry items to a clothesline while they dry outdoors.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • She used a clothes-pin to attach the wet shirt to the line. (A clip for holding laundry in place.)
  • The wind blew the clothes-pin off the line, and the towel fell to the ground. (The peg failed to secure the item.)

Advanced Usage

• "to use a clothes-pin on one's nose": a humorous or informal usage where a clothes-pin is clipped to the nose to block unpleasant smells.
  • He put a clothes-pin on his nose before entering the smelly room. (He used the clip as a nose plug.)

Variants and Related Words

• Clothes-peg (n): a synonym for clothes-pin, more common in British English.
  • I need a clothes-peg to hang these socks. (A peg for fastening laundry.)
• Clothespin (n): a single-word variant, often spelled without a hyphen in American English.
  • The clothespin snapped under pressure. (The clip broke.)

Synonyms

• Peg: a short, pointed piece of wood or metal used for fastening.
  • She clipped the peg onto the line. (A synonym for clothes-pin.)
• Clip: a device that holds things together.
  • Use a clip to secure the garment. (A general term for a fastener.)

Related Idioms

• "Not a clothes-pin to one's name": an informal expression meaning to be extremely poor or have nothing.
  • After the fire, he didn't have a clothes-pin to his name. (He had no possessions whatsoever.)