Pins
/pɪnz/noun
Small pointed fasteners used to hold things together or in place.
Did you know?English pin traces back to a very old Germanic word for a pointed object, and its deep relatives include words for spikes, prongs, and other sharp things that “fix” or pierce.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peyk-
“to prick, pierce, or mark with a point”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*pinnaz
“a pin, peg, or pointed object”
Old English
English
pinn
“a pin, peg, or peg-like fastener”
Middle English
English
pin
“a small pointed metal fastener”
Modern English
English
pins
“small pointed fasteners; plural of pin”