Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A pin in the form of a clasp, having a sheath to cover and hold the point.
- noun A pin that prevents the premature or accidental detonation of an explosive device, such as a bomb or grenade.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A pin bent back on itself, the bend forming a spring, and having the point fitting into a kind of sheath, so that it may not be readily withdrawn or prick the wearer or others while in use.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun a pin, in the form of a
clasp , that has aguard tocover thesharp point ; used tojoin two pieces offabric etc together temporarily - noun the pin of a
hand grenade that preventsaccidental detonation
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a pin in the form of a clasp; has a guard so the point of the pin will not stick the user
Etymologies
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Examples
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treeseed commented on the word safety pin
The origin of the safety pin dates back to the Mycenaeans during the 14th century BC (Late Mycenaean III era). They are known as fibulae (singular fibula) and were used in the same manner as modern day safety pins. In fact, the very first fibulae of the 14th and 13th centuries B.C. looked remarkably like the safety pin. The origin of the fibulae is detailed in Chr. Blinkenberg's 1926 book Fibules grecques et orientales.
The safety pin was reinvented in July 1849 by American inventor Walter Hunt. The rights to the invention were sold for $400.
_Wikipedia
February 1, 2008
seanahan commented on the word safety pin
That is the new craziest thing I have ever heard.
February 2, 2008