pinion

¹

[ pin-yuhn ]

noun

1. Machinery.
   1. a gear with a small number of teeth, especially one engaging with a rack or larger gear.
   2. a shaft or spindle cut with teeth engaging with a gear.
2. Metalworking. a gear driving a roll in a rolling mill.

pinion

²

[ pin-yuhn ]

noun

1. the distal or terminal segment of the wing of a bird consisting of the carpus, metacarpus, and phalanges.
2. a feather.
3. the flight feathers collectively.
4. Chiefly Literary. the wing of a bird.

verb (used with object)

1. to cut off the pinion of (a wing) or bind (the wings), as in order to prevent a bird from flying.
2. to disable or restrain (a bird) in such a manner.
3. to bind (a person's arms or hands) so they cannot be used.
4. to disable (someone) in such a manner; shackle.
5. to bind or hold fast, as to a thing:

   to be pinioned to one's bad habits.

pinion

¹

/ ˈpɪnjən /

noun

1. poetic.
   a bird's wing
2. the part of a bird's wing including the flight feathers

verb

1. to hold or bind (the arms) of (a person) so as to restrain or immobilize him
2. to confine or shackle
3. to make (a bird) incapable of flight by removing that part of (the wing) from which the flight feathers grow

pinion

²

/ ˈpɪnjən /

noun

1. a cogwheel that engages with a larger wheel or rack, which it drives or by which it is driven

Other Words From

• pinion·less adjective
• pinion·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pinion¹

First recorded in 1650–60; from French pignon “cogwheel,” Middle French peignon, derivative of peigne “comb,” variant of pigne, from Latin pectin- (stem of pecten ) “comb”; pecten

Origin of pinion²

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English pinion, pinoun, from Middle French, Old French penon, pignon “wing, pinion,” from Vulgar Latin pinniōn- (unattested), stem of pinniō, derivative of Latin pinna “feather, wing, fin”

Word History and Origins

Origin of pinion¹

C15: from Old French pignon wing, from Latin pinna wing

Origin of pinion²

C17: from French pignon cogwheel, from Old French peigne comb, from Latin pecten comb; see pecten

Example Sentences

He palled around with Madonna, dated Naomi Campbell and directed a couple of Nine Inch Nails videos — one of which, “Pinion,” was so racy that MTV wouldn’t play the full thing on air.

From Los Angeles Times

Inside, there were displays of timepieces from labels that have received international attention, including Christopher Ward and Fears, alongside many less well-known brands, such as Geckota, Isotope Watches, Pinchbeck and Pinion.

From New York Times

“I have pledged to take action to ensure something like this never happens in Decatur again, and that process has begun in earnest,” Pinion wrote in a statement.

From Seattle Times

Pinion said Thursday that he and the mayor visited with Perkins’ family to deliver the news about the dismissals.

From Seattle Times

Decatur Police Chief Todd Pinion in October issued a public apology saying the department had initially given inaccurate information about the shooting.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• arm
• branch
• extremity
• leg
• stem
• wheel
• wing