pushpin

IPA/ˈpʊʃpɪn/
IPA/ˈpʊʃpɪn/

pushpin — noun

1. a short metal pin with a round plastic head at one end, designed to be pushed in

1.nounB1
Definition

a short metal pin with a round plastic head at one end, designed to be pushed into a board or wall to hold papers or pictures in place

Example

Selim used a red pushpin to mark the new office location on the wall map.

collocation: pushpin + to mark [something] on [surface]

The teacher pushed a pushpin through each drawing before hanging it on the classroom wall.

pattern: push + pushpin + through [paper] + before [action]

Common collocations
  • pushpin + into
  • pushpin + through
  • pushpin + on
  • pushpin + from
  • pushpin + against
  • remove a pushpin
  • push a pushpin
  • use a pushpin
  • coloured pushpins
  • plastic pushpins
Synonyms
  • thumbtack

    the most common US term, interchangeable with pushpin in everyday use

  • drawing pin

    the standard British English term; has a flat metal head rather than a rounded plastic one

  • tack

    a broader category that also includes larger carpet tacks and upholstery tacks

Usage Note

Countable noun. Common in office, classroom, and home contexts. The plastic head may be brightly coloured. In British English the equivalent word is 'drawing pin'.

Common Mistakes

I used a pushpin to staple the sheets of paper together.
I used a pushpin to pin the poster to the corkboard.
Pushpins fasten items to a surface, not to each other.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Pushpin and thumbtack are largely interchangeable in US English, though thumbtack more commonly describes a flat-headed metal tack. A drawing pin is the British equivalent and usually has a coloured plastic head that is not flat. Tack is a broader category that includes short nails with a broad head (carpet tacks, upholstery tacks), which are heavier and not designed for the same light-duty paper-fastening job. A plain pin (sewing pin) has a fine point and no plastic head, making it unsuitable for thumb-powered insertion into a board. Choose pushpin or thumbtack for everyday classroom or office use; use drawing pin for a British audience.

thumbtack ↗drawing pintack ↗pin ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a box of pushpins
  • a handful of pushpins
  • pushpin + colour
  • pushpin + head

Prepositions

Etymology

English

Pushpin is a compound of push (meaning 'to press firmly') and pin (a thin piece of metal with a point). The word dates from the late 19th century, when mass-produced short pins with easy-to-grip heads became common in offices and schools. The idea of pushing the pin in with the thumb is built right into the name.

First known use

1907

1907, in the meaning defined above