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• safety pin
  safety pin

  noun

  a pin bent back on itself to form a spring, with a guard to cover the point.
• safety-pin
  safety-pin

  verb (used with object)

  to secure or affix with a safety pin.

safety pin

¹ American  

noun

1. a pin bent back on itself to form a spring, with a guard to cover the point.

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safety-pin ² American  

[seyf-tee-pin] / ˈseɪf tiˌpɪn /

verb (used with object)

safety-pinned, safety-pinning

1. to secure or affix with a safety pin.

   to safety-pin a child's mittens to his coat sleeve.

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safety pin British  

noun

1. a spring wire clasp with a covering catch, made so as to shield the point when closed and to prevent accidental unfastening

2. another word for pin

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Etymology

Origin of safety pin¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Origin of safety-pin²

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Adding insult to injury, to settle a debt, Hunt sold the 1849 patent rights for something that could have kept his legacy alive: the modern-day safety pin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

The costume department must have used every safety pin in town.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2025

If the safety pin is still there the next time you declutter — meaning you haven’t worn the item in that time frame — it’s time to part ways.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 27, 2024

But when he continued, she realised that it was deliberate - and the safety pin she had used to keep her scarf in place "saved the day".

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2023

He not only undid the blue bow; he pulled it all the way out of the hem, so she had to rethread it afterward with a safety pin.

From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison