hairpin

[ hair-pin ]

noun

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

adjective

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

   a hairpin turn.

hairpin

/ ˈhɛəˌpɪn /

noun

1. a thin double-pronged pin used by women to fasten the hair
2. modifier (esp of a bend in a road) curving very sharply

Word History and Origins

Origin of hairpin¹

First recorded in 1770–80; hair + pin

Example Sentences

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.

From 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.

From Popular-Science

Carrey sings: "You're a big, big man with a little bitty gland, so you need something bigger with a hairpin trigger."

From The Daily Beast

“I never unplug,” says Edith Zimmerman, editor of The Hairpin.

From The Daily Beast

But a campaign this volatile undoubtedly faces a few more hairpin turns at the hands of ticked-off voters.

From The 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.

From Project Gutenberg

The car coasted down a long slope, crossed a bridge and began to go up a hairpin rise.

From Project Gutenberg

The pressure was building now, as we blasted around in a hairpin curve, our acceleration picking up fast.

From Project Gutenberg

"Wonderful," said the Widow contemptuously, replacing the hairpin in the knob which was balanced on the top of her head.

From Project Gutenberg

And it was with him still, even when he was consciously concentrating on the hairpin turns of Mount Lawson's narrow road.

From Project Gutenberg