1
: the terminal section of a bird's wing including the carpus, metacarpus, and phalanges
broadly
: wing
2
: feather, quill
also
: flight feathers
pinioned; pinioning; pinions
1
a
: to disable or restrain by binding the arms
b
: to bind fast : shackle
2
: to restrain (a bird) from flight especially by cutting off the pinion of one wing
1
: a gear with a small number of teeth designed to mesh with a larger wheel or rack
2
: the smaller of a pair or the smallest of a train of gear wheels
Synonyms
Examples of pinion in a Sentence
Verb
They pinioned his arms behind his back.
Joan of Arc was pinioned to a stake and burned as a heretic.
Recent Examples on the Web
Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2024
In the club lounge, Cy the Cynic told us that the feathers at a bird’s wingtip are called pinions.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 28 May 2024
Fredrick Kunkle, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Apr. 2023
There is only one substantial object in the show, a set of wooden stocks for pinioning the legs of multiple enslaved people.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for pinion 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The Air Force said a pinion gear — a critical part of the proprotor gearbox — failed leading up to the crash.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2024
In the club lounge, Cy the Cynic told us that the feathers at a bird’s wingtip are called pinions.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 28 May 2024
Verb
Haas thus theorized that the victim had been pinioned by both heels to the front of the upright beam either with their legs splayed open, frog-like, or with their knees bent and turned to one side.
—Fredrick Kunkle, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Apr. 2023
There is only one substantial object in the show, a set of wooden stocks for pinioning the legs of multiple enslaved people.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for pinion
Dictionary Entries Near pinion
Cite this Entry
“Pinion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinion. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pinion
1 of 3 noun
pin·ion
ˈpin-yən 
1
: the end part of a bird's wing
also
: a bird's wing
2
: a feather of a bird's pinion
pinion
2 of 3 verb1
: to restrain especially by binding the arms
2
: to prevent a bird from flying especially by cutting off the pinion of one wing
pinion
3 of 3 noun1
: a gear with a small number of teeth designed to fit together with a larger wheel or rack
2
: the smallest of a set of gearwheels
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share