pinion

1 of 3

noun (1)

pin·​ion ˈpin-yən 

1

: the terminal section of a bird's wing including the carpus, metacarpus, and phalanges

broadly : wing

2

: feather, quill

also : flight feathers

pinioned

ˈpin-yənd 

adjective

pinion

2 of 3

verb

pinioned; pinioning; pinions

transitive verb

1

a

: to disable or restrain by binding the arms

b

: to bind fast : shackle

2

: to restrain (a bird) from flight especially by cutting off the pinion of one wing

pinion

3 of 3

noun (2)

1

: a gear with a small number of teeth designed to mesh with a larger wheel or rack

2

: the smaller of a pair or the smallest of a train of gear wheels

Synonyms

Verb

• bind
• chain
• enchain
• enfetter
• fetter
• gyve
• handcuff
• manacle
• shackle
• trammel

Examples of pinion in a Sentence

Verb

They pinioned his arms behind his back.

Joan of Arc was pinioned to a stake and burned as a heretic.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Winter makes for a great time to visit with the burning pinion fires–and pinion coffee–but so does spring when the fruit trees are blooming, or late July and August when the lavender blooms. —Chadd Scott, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025

The gearbox is the aircraft’s transmission and contains five pinion gears that spin to send energy from the engine to the Osprey’s masts and rotor blades. —Brad Dress, The Hill, 30 Dec. 2024

Verb

Haas thus theorized that the victim had been pinioned by both heels to the front of the upright beam either with their legs splayed open, frog-like, or with their knees bent and turned to one side. —Fredrick Kunkle, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Apr. 2023

There is only one substantial object in the show, a set of wooden stocks for pinioning the legs of multiple enslaved people. —Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, probably modification of Anglo-French *empignon, enpenoun flight feathers, ultimately from Vulgar Latin *pinnion-, pinnio, from Latin pinna feather — more at pen

Noun (2)

French pignon, from Middle French peignon, from peigne comb, from Latin pecten — more at pectinate

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1558, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pinion

1 of 3 noun

pin·​ion ˈpin-yən 

1

: the end part of a bird's wing

also : a bird's wing

2

: a feather of a bird's pinion

pinion

2 of 3 verb

1

: to restrain especially by binding the arms

2

: to prevent a bird from flying especially by cutting off the pinion of one wing

pinion

3 of 3 noun

1

: a gear with a small number of teeth designed to fit together with a larger wheel or rack

2

: the smallest of a set of gearwheels