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bodkin

bodkin

1 9.9
A long thin pin used to hold hair up
  • noun
  • /ˈbɒd.kɪn/
  • Archaic
translation icon : horquilla
  • During the Renaissance, women favored using a jeweled bodkin that not only held their hair but also served as a fashion statement.

Examples

  • Unless, of course, we all memorize Shakespeare like Huck Finn did ("To be or not to be; there's the bare bodkin...").

    Blog text (17)
  • In the 18th century, ladies often adorned their hairstyles with a decorated bodkin to secure intricate arrangements.

  • The historical novel described how the protagonist used a finely crafted bodkin to fasten her hair for the evening ball.

Synonyms

hatpin
vsbodkin
  • Archaic
1 8.3

A long thin pin women use to hold a hat in their hair

is slimmer and decorative and fastens hair instead of a hat

How Long

hatpin
  • Archaic
1 8.3
bodkin
  • Archaic
1 9.9
bobby pin
  • US
11 2.2

Surface Forms

bodkin singular
bodkins plural

Etymology

Bodkin was also used for a long, thin hairpin; imagine a decorative 'pin' that holds hair in place, and you will see why the same word fits hairpins as well as other small pointed tools.