pinion

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: pin=ion

CIDE DICTIONARY

pinion, n. 

 A moth of the genus Lithophane, as Lithophane antennata, whose larva bores large holes in young peaches and apples.  [1913 Webster]

pinion, n. [OF. pignon a pen, F., gable, pinion (in sense 5); cf. Sp. piñon pinion; fr. L. pinna pinnacle, feather, wing. See Pin a peg, and cf. Pen a feather, Pennat, Pennon.].

•  A feather; a quill.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  A wing, literal or figurative.  [1913 Webster]

  "Swift on his sooty pinions flits the gnome."  [1913 Webster]
•  The joint of bird's wing most remote from the body.  Johnson.  [1913 Webster]
•  A fetter for the arm.  Ainsworth.  [1913 Webster]
•  A cogwheel with a small number of teeth, or leaves, adapted to engage with a larger wheel, or rack (see Rack); esp., such a wheel having its leaves formed of the substance of the arbor or spindle which is its axis.  [1913 Webster]

Lantern pinion. See under Lantern. -- Pinion wire, wire fluted longitudinally, for making the pinions of clocks and watches. It is formed by being drawn through holes of the shape required for the leaves or teeth of the pinions.

pinion, v. t. 

•  To bind or confine the wings of; to confine by binding the wings.  Bacon.  [1913 Webster]
•  To disable by cutting off the pinion joint.  Johnson.  [1913 Webster]
•  To disable or restrain, as a person, by binding the arms, esp. by binding the arms to the body.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

  "Her elbows pinioned close upon her hips."  [1913 Webster]
•  Hence, generally, to confine; to bind; to tie up.  Norris.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

pinion, n. & v.
--n.
1 the outer part of a bird's wing, usu. including the flight feathers.
2 poet. a wing; a flight-feather.
--v.tr.
1 cut off the pinion of (a wing or bird) to prevent flight.
2 a bind the arms of (a person). b (often foll. by to) bind (the arms, a person, etc.) esp. to a thing.

pinion, n.
1 a small cog-wheel engaging with a larger one.
2 a cogged spindle engaging with a wheel.

Etymology

F pignon alt. f. obs. pignol f. L pinea pine-cone (as PINE(1))

THESAURUS

pinion

anchor, appendage, arm, bind, bough, branch, bridle, chain, crest, enchain, entrammel, fasten, feather, fetter, gyve, hackle, hamper, hand, handcuff, hobble, hog-tie, hopple, imp, joint, lash, leash, leg, limb, link, lobe, lobule, make fast, manacle, member, moor, offshoot, organ, panache, peg down, picket, pin down, plume, plumule, put in irons, quill, ramification, restrain, rope, runner, scapular, scion, secure, shackle, spray, sprig, spur, straitjacket, strap, switch, tail, tendril, tether, tie, tie down, tie up, topknot, trammel, tuft, twig, wing

ROGET THESAURUS

pinion

Instrument

N instrument, machinery, mechanism, engineering, instrument, organ, tool, implement, utensil, machine, engine, lathe, gin, mill, air engine, caloric engine, heat engine, gear, tackle, tackling, rig, rigging, apparatus, appliances, plant, materiel, harness, trappings, fittings, accouterments, barde, equipment, equipmentage, appointments, furniture, upholstery, chattels, paraphernalia, mechanical powers, lever, leverage, mechanical advantage, crow, crowbar, handspike, gavelock, jemmy, jimmy, arm, limb, wing, oar, paddle, pulley, wheel and axle, wheelwork, clockwork, wheels within wheels, pinion, crank, winch, cam, pedal, capstan, wheel, inclined plane, wedge, screw, spring, mainspring, can hook, glut, heald, heddle, jenny, parbuckle, sprag, water wheel, handle, hilt, haft, shaft, heft, shank, blade, trigger, tiller, helm, treadle, key, turnscrew, screwdriver, knocker, hammer, edge tool, borer, vice, teeth, nail, rope, peg, support, spoon, arms, oar, cardiograph, recapper, snowplow, tenpenny, votograph, instrumental, mechanical, machinal, brachial.

Junction

VB join, unite, conjoin, connect, associate, put together, lay together, clap together, hang together, lump together, hold together, piece together, tack together, fix together, bind up together together, embody, reembody, roll into one, attach, fix, affix, saddle on, fasten, bind, secure, clinch, twist, make fast, tie, pinion, string, strap, sew, lace, tat, stitch, tack, knit, button, buckle, hitch, lash, truss, bandage, braid, splice, swathe, gird, tether, moor, picket, harness, chain, fetter, lock, latch, belay, brace, hook, grapple, leash, couple, accouple, link, yoke, bracket, marry, bridge over, span, braze, pin, nail, bolt, hasp, clasp, clamp, crimp, screw, rivet, impact, solder, set, weld together, fuse together, wedge, rabbet, mortise, miter, jam, dovetail, enchase, graft, ingraft, inosculate, entwine, intwine, interlink, interlace, intertwine, intertwist, interweave, entangle, twine round, belay, tighten, trice up, screw up, be joined, hang together, hold together, cohere.

Restraint

VB restrain, check, put under restraint, lay under restraint, enthral, enthrall, inthral, inthrall, bethral, bethrall, restrict, debar, constrain, coerce, curb, control, hold back, hold from, hold in, hold in check, hold within bounds, keep back, keep from, keep in, keep in check, keep within bounds, hold in leash, hold in leading strings, withhold, keep under, repress, suppress, smother, pull in, rein in, hold, hold fast, keep a tight hand on, prohibit, inhibit, cohibit, enchain, fasten, fetter, shackle, entrammel, bridle, muzzle, hopple, gag, pinion, manacle, handcuff, tie one's hands, hobble, bind hand and foot, swathe, swaddle, pin down, tether, picket, tie down, tie up, secure, forge fetters, disable, hamstring (incapacitate), confine, shut up, shut in, clap up, lock up, box up, mew up, bottle up, cork up, seal up, button up, hem in, bolt in, wall in, rail in, impound, pen, coop, inclose, cage, incage, encage, close the door upon, cloister, imprison, immure, incarcerate, entomb, clap under hatches, lay under hatches, put in irons, put in a strait-waistcoat, throw into prison, cast into prison, put into bilboes, arrest, take up, take charge of, take into custody, take prisoner, take captive, make prisoner, make captive, captivate, lead captive, lead into captivity, send to prison, commit to prison, commit, give in charge, give in custody, subjugate.

Prison

N prison, prison house, jail, gaol, cage, coop, den, cell, stronghold, fortress, keep, donjon, dungeon, Bastille, oubliette, bridewell, house of correction, hulks, tollbooth, panopticon, penitentiary, guardroom, lockup, hold, round house, watch house, station house, sponging house, station, house of detention, black hole, pen, fold, pound, inclosure, isolation (exclusion), penal settlement, penal colony, bilboes, stocks, limbo, quod, calaboose, chauki, choky, thana, workhouse, Newgate, Fleet, Marshalsea, King's Bench, Queen's Bench, bond, bandage, irons, pinion, gyve, fetter, shackle, trammel, manacle, handcuff, straight jacket, strait jacket, strait-jacket, strait-waistcoat, hopples, vice, vise, yoke, collar, halter, harness, muzzle, gag, bit, brake, curb, snaffle, bridle, rein, reins, bearing rein, martingale, leading string, tether, picket, band, guy, chain, cord, cavesson, hackamore, headstall, jaquima, lines, ribbons, bolt, deadbolt, bar, lock, police lock, combination lock, padlock, rail, wall, stone wall, paling, palisade, fence, picket fence, barbed wire fence, Cyclone fence, stockade fence, chain-link fence, barrier, barricade, drag.

Navigation

N navigation, aquatics, boating, yachting, ship, oar, paddle, screw, sail, canvas, aileron, natation, swimming, fin, flipper, fish's tail, aerostation, aerostatics, aeronautics, balloonery, balloon, ballooning, aviation, airmanship, flying, flight, volitation, wing, pinion, rocketry, space travel, astronautics, orbital mechanics, orbiting, voyage, sail, cruise, passage, circumnavigation, periplus, headway, sternway, leeway, fairway, mariner, flight, trip, shuttle, run, airlift, sailing, volant, aerostatic, seafaring, nautical, maritime, naval, seagoing, coasting, afloat, navigable, aerial, aeronautic, grallatory, under way, under sail, under canvas, under steam, on the wing, in flight, in orbit, bon voyage, spread the thin oar and catch the driving gale.