pinion Definition
- 1the outer part of a bird's wing including the flight feathers
- 2to restrain or immobilize someone by tying their arms
- 3a small cogwheel that engages with a larger one or rack
Using pinion: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "pinion" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The bird's pinions were clipped to prevent it from flying away.
Example
He was pinioned to the chair with ropes.
Example
The pinion on the gear wheel is worn out.
pinion Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with pinion
take wing/pinion
to fly away or take off
Example
As soon as the door opened, the bird took wing and flew away.
pinion and rack
a mechanical system that uses a small cogwheel (pinion) to engage with a larger one (rack) to translate rotational motion into linear motion
Example
The pinion and rack system is commonly used in steering mechanisms of vehicles.
Example
The mechanic tightened the pinion nut to fix the noise coming from the rear axle.
Origins of pinion
from Old French 'pignon', meaning 'small cogwheel'
Summary: pinion in Brief
The term 'pinion' [ˈpɪniən] has three main meanings. First, it refers to the outer part of a bird's wing including the flight feathers. Second, it means to restrain or immobilize someone by tying their arms. Third, it is a small cogwheel that engages with a larger one or rack. Examples include 'The bird's pinions were clipped to prevent it from flying away.' and 'The pinion on the gear wheel is worn out.'
