hairpin

[ hair-pin ]

/ ˈhɛərˌpɪn /

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noun

a slender U-shaped piece of wire, shell, etc., used by women to fasten up the hair or hold a headdress.

adjective

(of a road, curve in a road, etc.) sharply curved back, as in a U shape: a hairpin turn.

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of hairpin

First recorded in 1770–80; hair + pin

Words nearby hairpin

hairline, hairline fracture, hair net, hair of the dog that bit you, hairpiece, hairpin, hair-raiser, hair-raising, hair restorer, hairsbreadth, hair seal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hairpin in a sentence

With the ability to tune the car’s regenerative braking level to the driver’s liking, powering out of corners and then slowing for approaching hairpins is a one-pedal operation, letting the i4 dance effortlessly through the Bavarian switchbacks.
The new electric BMW i4 is a nimble driving machine—with a cinematic soundtrack|Dan Carney|October 15, 2021|Popular-Science
At first glance, the Sleekform Folding Desk is beautiful, with its rustic tabletop and hairpin legs, but what really makes it special is its no-assembly required design.
Best folding desk: Practical and portable options for small spaces|Jen McCaffery|July 26, 2021|Popular-Science
Carrey sings: "You're a big, big man with a little bitty gland, so you need something bigger with a hairpin trigger."
"Hee-Haw": Jim Carrey Mocks Gun Lovers & Charlton Heston In Spoof|Anna Klassen|March 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“I never unplug,” says Edith Zimmerman, editor of The Hairpin.
Seven Things to Do on National Day of Unplugging|Sam Schlinkert|March 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST

But a campaign this volatile undoubtedly faces a few more hairpin turns at the hands of ticked-off voters.
Is It Really Romney?|Howard Kurtz|October 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The hairpin or wire is bent as shown in the illustration, and the rubber band then placed on the inverted U-shaped part.
The Boy Mechanic, Book 2|Various
The car coasted down a long slope, crossed a bridge and began to go up a hairpin rise.
The Onslaught from Rigel|Fletcher Pratt
The pressure was building now, as we blasted around in a hairpin curve, our acceleration picking up fast.
Greylorn|John Keith Laumer
"Wonderful," said the Widow contemptuously, replacing the hairpin in the knob which was balanced on the top of her head.
In a German Pension|Katherine Mansfield
And it was with him still, even when he was consciously concentrating on the hairpin turns of Mount Lawson's narrow road.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, November, 1930|Various

British Dictionary definitions for hairpin

hairpin

/ (ˈhɛəˌpɪn) /

noun

a thin double-pronged pin used by women to fasten the hair

(modifier) (esp of a bend in a road) curving very sharply

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

hairpin

Origin of hairpin

Words nearby hairpin

Words related to hairpin

How to use hairpin in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hairpin