kingpin

[ king-pin ]

/ ˈkɪŋˌpɪn /

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See synonyms for kingpin on Thesaurus.com

noun

Bowling.

headpin.
the pin at the center; the number five pin.

Informal. the person of chief importance in a corporation, movement, undertaking, etc.

Informal. the chief element of any system, plan, or the like.

a kingbolt.

either of the pins that are a part of the mechanism for turning the front wheels in some automotive steering systems.

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Origin of kingpin

First recorded in 1795–1805; king + pin

Words nearby kingpin

king of the herrings, king of the hill, king-of-the-salmon, king penguin, King Philip's War, kingpin, king plank, king post, king prawn, king quail, king rail

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use kingpin in a sentence

Imagine search as a jungle gym, you automatically imagine Google as the kingpin player on this ground.
The search dilemma: looking beyond Google’s third-party cookie death|Susan Dolan|April 16, 2021|Search Engine Watch
Born in Britain but adept at pulling off regional American accents, Elba first caught the attention of TV audiences as the charismatic drug kingpin Russell “Stringer” Bell in The Wire.
Idris Elba Brings a Regal Urban Cowboy to Life in Concrete Cowboy|Stephanie Zacharek|April 2, 2021|Time
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said as much in January 2019 when he branded Fortnite a bigger threat to the streaming kingpin than Disney, HBO et al.
‘We want our brands to be where people are’: As gaming becomes a culture touchstone, advertisers toggle in|Seb Joseph|December 1, 2020|Digiday
“Hey, gaylords, watch this,” said Chris, producing a broken skateboard kingpin from his pocket.
My Friend, the Murderer|Eugene Robinson|November 24, 2020|Ozy

When a local drug kingpin got too close to his players, Thompson warned him to stay away.
John Thompson’s Unapologetic Blackness Changed College Basketball|Santul Nerkar|September 1, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
When it came to casting Escobar, Di Stefano had to find a strong actor who could embody the brutality of the late kingpin.
Gangster in Paradise: Benicio Del Toro Is Pablo Escobar|Alex Suskind|September 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the meantime, the U.S. named El Chino a drug kingpin and moved to seize the very wealth he flaunted in his online photos.
Is Mexico's Kim Kardashian-Lookalike Assassin for Real?|Michael Daly|June 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Before Escobar and his posse would surrender, the drug kingpin had a few stipulations.
Pablo Escobar’s Private Prison Is Now Run by Monks for Senior Citizens|Jeff Campagna|June 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The young, professional players indulged the pudgy kingpin as he kicked his ball around in the dirt.
Pablo Escobar’s Private Prison Is Now Run by Monks for Senior Citizens|Jeff Campagna|June 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
According to records from the Federal Election Commission, game-show kingpin Griffin, creator of Jeopardy!
Why Game-Show Hosts Vote Republican|Rebecca Dana|May 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Wait now, Bertrand Meade, who seemed to be the kingpin of the whole movement—yes, Meade owned that tiny island.
The Sensitive Man|Poul William Anderson
The rookies, too, look up to you as a kingpin pitcher and batter, and theyll be just clay in your hands.
Baseball Joe, Captain of the Team|Lester Chadwick
He said he was the kingpin of the tooth-pullers, and I believe he was.
Mind and Body|William Walker Atkinson
You are to be a kingpin witness in my case against two pickpockets.
The Arrow of Fire|Roy J. Snell
But there's another day, and the kingpin and I may yet lock horns.
Our Young Aeroplane Scouts in Germany|Horace Porter

British Dictionary definitions for kingpin

kingpin

/ (ˈkɪŋˌpɪn) /

noun

the most important person in an organization

the crucial or most important feature of a theory, argument, etc

Also called (Brit): swivel pin a pivot pin that provides a steering joint in a motor vehicle by securing the stub axle to the axle beam

tenpin bowling the front pin in the triangular arrangement of the ten pins

(in ninepins) the central pin in the diamond pattern of the nine pins

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

kingpin

Origin of kingpin

Words nearby kingpin

Words related to kingpin

How to use kingpin in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for kingpin