pinion
pinion Lexical Profile
pinion Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small, round gearwheel with teeth designed to mesh with a larger gearwheel or with a linear toothed rack, commonly used in automotive steering and mechanical drives.
"The mechanic inspected the worn rack and pinion assembly to determine why the steering felt loose."
The outer part of a bird's wing, including the flight feathers, or (in literary and poetic usage) the entire wing.
"The eagle spread its broad pinions and glided effortlessly across the mountain valley."
• verb
To bind, hold down, or immobilize someone's arms or legs so that they cannot move or escape.
"Two guards stepped forward to pinion the intruder's arms behind his back until the authorities arrived."
To clip the flight feathers or surgically remove the outer joint of one wing of a bird to prevent it from flying.
"Sanctuary caretakers sometimes pinion captive waterfowl so they can roam securely in open-air ponds."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'pinion' (a bird's wing tip or a small gearwheel) with 'pinyon' or 'piñon' (a species of pine tree native to southwestern North America).
• Rhymes for pinion
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Middle English, borrowed from Old French pignon ('flight feather, wing tip, or cogwheel'), ultimately derived from Vulgar Latin *pinnionem, an augmentative of Classical Latin pinna ('feather, wing').