clothespin

American  

[klohz-pin, klohthz-, klohs-] / ˈkloʊzˌpɪn, ˈkloʊðz-, ˈkloʊs- /

noun

1. a device, such as a forked piece of wood or plastic, for fastening articles to a clothesline.

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Etymology

Origin of clothespin

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; clothes + pin

Example Sentences

Use a spring clothespin to secure the herb bundles to wires or other support.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 13, 2023

Claes Oldenburg had transformed everyday objects — a clothespin, a shoe, a hamburger — into monumental commentaries on the society that manufactures them.

From New York Times • Dec. 29, 2022

The Browns miscalculated, believing that their starving fans would clothespin their noses to escape the stench and instead fantasize about the Super Bowl possibilities with Watson helming the team.

From Washington Post • Jun. 22, 2022

Whatever you think of the Shaker commitment to celibacy, it may have contributed to their remarkable productiveness; they were responsible for many cherished modern inventions — among them clothespin and the circular saw.

From Salon • Nov. 21, 2018

As we came in, he handed us each a clothespin and our graded family trees to hang on twine that had been strung across the back of the room.

From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez