pinion
pronunciation
How to pronounce pinion in British English:
UK [ˈpɪnjən]
How to pronounce pinion in American English:
US [ˈpɪnjən]
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- Noun:
- a gear with a small number of teeth designed to mesh with a larger wheel or rack
- any of the larger wing or tail feathers of a bird
- wing of a bird
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- Verb:
- bind the arms of
- cut the wings off (of birds)
Word Origin
- pinion
- pinion: see pin, pine
- pinion (n.1)
- "wing joint, segment of a bird's wing," mid-15c., from Old French pignon "wing-feather, wing, pinion" (c. 1400), from Vulgar Latin *pinnionem (nominative *pinnio), augmentative of Latin pinna "wing" (see pin (n.)).
- pinion (n.2)
- "small wheel with teeth to gear with a larger one" (as in rack and pinion), 1650s, from French pignon "pinion" (16c.), literally "gable," from Old French pignon "pointed gable, summit," from Vulgar Latin *pinnionem, augmentative of Latin pinna "battlement, pinnacle" (see pin (n.)).
- pinion (v.)
- "disable by binding the arms," 1550s, older in English than literal sense "cut or bind the pinions (of a bird's wing) to prevent flying" (1570s); from pinion (n.1). Related: Pinioned.
Example
- 1. Jaws : utilizes a rack & pinion for synchronization .
- 2. Inspect the clutch pinion gear return .
- 3. He is held with his arms pinion together behind his back .
- 4. Install the pinion mate gears and thrust washers .
- 5. Americans eat a lot lf meat , too much in my pinion .