Pinion

/ˈpɪnjən/ · noun

Meaning

A wing..

Definitions by Sense

1. A wing.
2. (ornithology) The joint of a bird's wing farthest from the body.
3. (ornithology) Any of the outermost primary feathers on a bird's wing.
4. A moth of the genus Lithophane.
5. To cut off the pinion of a bird’s wing, or otherwise disable or bind its wings, in order to prevent it from flying.
6. To bind the arms of someone, so as to deprive him of their use; to disable by so binding.
7. (transferred sense, figurative) To restrain; to limit.
8. (mechanical engineering) The smallest gear in a gear train.

Example Sentences

Therefore do nimble Pinion'd Doues draw Loue, And therefore hath the wind-ſwift Cupid wings:

See o'er the Alps his tow'ring Pinions ſoar, Where never Engliſh Poet reach'd before.

Press on! for it is godlike to unloose The spirit, and forget yourself in thought; Bending a pinion for the deeper sky, And, in the very fetters of your flesh, Mating with the pure essences of heaven!

Never seraph spread a pinion / Over fabric half so fair.

An argument that he is pluckt, when hither / He ſends ſo poore a Pinnion of his Wing,

When they are aboute fortnights olde (for they must bee driven noe longer) yow must watch where the henne useth to sitte on nights, and come when it beginneth to bee darke and throwe somethinge over the henne as shee broodeth them, then take and clippe every of theire right wings. Then when they are aboute moneths old, yow must come after the same manner and pinnion or cutte a joynte of every of theire right winges.

The Swanners gette up the younge swannes about midsummer [24 June] and footemarke them for the owners, and then doe they allsoe pinnion them, cuttinge a joynte of theire right winges, and then att Michaellmasse [29 Sept.] doe they bringe them hoame, or else bringe hoame some, and leave the rest att some of the mills and wee sende for them.

Suppoſe, thou Fortune could to tameneſs bring, / And clip or pinion her wing; / Suppoſe thou could’ſt on Fate ſo far prevail / As not to cut off thy Entail.

Synonyms for pinion

Antonyms for pinion

Related Words

Word Forms

• pinions
• pinioning
• pinioned

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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