Definition

Noun: A short pin with a broad, flat head, used for fastening papers or other lightweight items to a surface such as a bulletin board, wall, or drawing board. It is designed to be pressed into the material by hand.

Usage

The term "drawing pin" is used to refer to the physical object itself. It is typically used in contexts involving office supplies, crafts, or temporary displays. - Primary Use: To attach papers, notes, or light objects to a board or wall. - Common Contexts: Offices, schools, homes, art studios, and notice boards.

Examples

• Noun:
  • She used a drawing pin to put the notice on the corkboard.
  • Please be careful not to step on a drawing pin that has fallen on the floor.
  • The map was held in place with four drawing pins at the corners.

Advanced Usage

• "to put/set/stick in a drawing pin": The action of pressing a drawing pin into a surface.
  • He carefully set a drawing pin into the center of the poster.
• Metonymic Use: Can sometimes refer to the act of pinning itself in a very contextual way.
  • The announcement is up, thanks to a quick drawing pin. (Here, it implies the use of a drawing pin.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thumbtack (noun, chiefly US): A direct synonym for "drawing pin."
• Pushpin (noun): Another common synonym, especially in American English.
• Tack (noun): A more general term for a short, sharp-pointed nail, which can include a drawing pin.

Synonyms

• Thumbtack
• Pushpin
• Tack (in the specific context of a short pin with a large head)

Antonyms

• Adhesive: A substance used for sticking objects together (e.g., glue, tape), which functions differently.
• Staple: A fastener made of thin wire, driven through papers and bent to hold them together.

Related Phrases and Idioms

(Note: "Drawing pin" itself is not typically part of idioms. However, related actions are described.) - "to pin something up": To attach something using a pin or tack. - I'll pin up the schedule with a drawing pin. - "as sharp as a tack/pin": An idiom meaning very intelligent or perceptive. While not exclusive to "drawing pin," it uses the related word "tack." - Despite his age, his mind is as sharp as a tack.

Noun

1. a tack for attaching papers to a bulletin board or drawing board