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definitions

pin rail

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noun

Theater. a rail on a fly gallery, wall, etc., holding two rows of pins or cleats for securing lines attached to scenery.
Nautical. a strong rail at the side of the deck of a vessel, for holding the pins to which some of the running rigging is belayed.

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Nearby words

  1. pin on,
  2. pin one's heart on,
  3. pin one's hopes on,
  4. pin pad,
  5. pin plate,
  6. pin seal,
  7. pin someone's ears back,
  8. pin spot,
  9. pin the tail on the donkey,
  10. pin tuck
Compare fife rail.

Origin of pin rail

First recorded in 1875–80
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pin rail

  • I stepped over to the pin-rail and pulled out a wooden belaying-pin.

    The Flying Bo'sun|Arthur Mason

  • Margaret did not disdain the aid of my hand as she climbed upon the pin-rail at the foot of the weather jigger-rigging.

    The Mutiny of the Elsinore|Jack London

  • "Tie it off" is the way they direct that the lines be made fast to the pin-rail.

    The Art of Stage Dancing|Ned Wayburn

  • And yet, there, in the shade on the pin-rail, that unbelievable and monstrous heart beat on.

    The Mutiny of the Elsinore|Jack London
British Dictionary definitions for pin rail

pin rail

noun

nautical a strong wooden rail or bar containing holes for belaying pins to which lines are fastened on sailing vesselsCompare fife rail
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