pinion

1
[ pin-yuhn ]
See synonyms for: pinionpinionedpinioningpinions on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. Machinery.

    • a gear with a small number of teeth, especially one engaging with a rack or larger gear.

    • a shaft or spindle cut with teeth engaging with a gear.

  2. Metalworking. a gear driving a roll in a rolling mill.

Origin of pinion

1
First recorded in 1650–60; from French pignon “cogwheel,” Middle French peignon, derivative of peigne “comb,” variant of pigne, from Latin pectin- (stem of pecten ) “comb”; see pecten

Other words from pinion

  • pin·ion·less, adjective
  • pin·ion·like, adjective

Other definitions for pinion (2 of 2)

pinion2
[ pin-yuhn ]

noun
  1. the distal or terminal segment of the wing of a bird consisting of the carpus, metacarpus, and phalanges.

  1. the flight feathers collectively.

  2. Chiefly Literary. the wing of a bird.

verb (used with object)
  1. to cut off the pinion of (a wing) or bind (the wings), as in order to prevent a bird from flying.

  2. to disable or restrain (a bird) in such a manner.

  1. to bind (a person's arms or hands) so they cannot be used.

  2. to disable (someone) in such a manner; shackle.

  3. to bind or hold fast, as to a thing: to be pinioned to one's bad habits.

Origin of pinion

2
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English pinion, pinoun, from Middle French, Old French penon, pignon “wing, pinion,” from Vulgar Latin pinniōn- (unattested), stem of pinniō, derivative of Latin pinna “feather, wing, fin”

Other words from pinion

  • un·pin·ioned, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pinion in a sentence

  • Its horn blared ceaselessly, jammed by the dead body of the driver, Henri Paul, pinioned on the steering column by the impact.

  • For one moment Richard pondered whether he could leap into the water, and drift down-stream with his arms pinioned.

    God Wills It! | William Stearns Davis
  • In a moment Billy was pinioned to the floor, and Black Hank was rubbing his abraded fore-arm.

    Blazed Trail Stories | Stewart Edward White
  • But when he stood beneath the cross-arm to be pinioned, his legs played him traitor.

    From Place to Place | Irvin S. Cobb
  • A hollow murmur ran over the crowd like a wave as the gaol doors swung open and the prisoners appeared, pinioned.

    A Frontier Mystery | Bertram Mitford
  • But The Parrot's big grip closed quietly around his wrist at the last offering and pinioned him and held him helpless.

British Dictionary definitions for pinion (1 of 2)

pinion1

/ (ˈpɪnjən) /


noun
  1. mainly poetic a bird's wing

  2. the part of a bird's wing including the flight feathers

verb(tr)
  1. to hold or bind (the arms) of (a person) so as to restrain or immobilize him

  2. to confine or shackle

  1. to make (a bird) incapable of flight by removing that part of (the wing) from which the flight feathers grow

Origin of pinion

1
C15: from Old French pignon wing, from Latin pinna wing

British Dictionary definitions for pinion (2 of 2)

pinion2

/ (ˈpɪnjən) /


noun
  1. a cogwheel that engages with a larger wheel or rack, which it drives or by which it is driven

Origin of pinion

2
C17: from French pignon cogwheel, from Old French peigne comb, from Latin pecten comb; see pecten

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012