clothes pin
- noun
- /kloʊðz pɪn/
- US
:
pinza de ropa
- She clipped the dress to the line with a clothes pin so it would not fall off.
Examples
-
I used a clothes pin to attach my shirt to the line while it dried outside.
-
Push-down split clothes pins were used to hang work clothes; spring-type clip-on pins were used for other laundry.
Blog text (13) -
And then I want you to take wooden clothes pins and hang it on a line.
-
We are always releasing new clothes pins and stuff.
-
Fetch me those clothes pins you little Satan.
-
I use clothes pins!
Blog text (13) -
I think I'll do all the shirts first because I don't have pants hangers, so I have to put clothes pins on the regular hanger.
-
The Laundress has its own line of branded wooden clothes pins for those drying the old-fashioned way, and you can find more eco-friendly bamboo clothes pins at The Container Store, or a whole category of cloth-covered options on Etsy.
Blog text (10) -
The Laundress has its own line of branded wooden clothes pins for those drying the old-fashioned way, and you can find more eco-friendly bamboo clothes pins at The Container Store, or a whole category of cloth-covered options on Etsy.
Blog text (10) -
Make sure to grab some clothes pins to keep the towels from blowing away on the clothesline.
Synonyms
153
1.0
A small metal or plastic object used to attach things to cloth
6
1.3
A small wooden or plastic clip that holds clothes on a line while they dry
1
1.1
A small wooden or plastic clip that holds wet clothes on a line while they dry
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'clothes' + 'pin' — a small pin used to fasten clothes (e.g., to a line). This is a straightforward compound with a literal sense and cross-linguistic equivalents (e.g., French 'pince à linge'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Clothes pin comes from the simple object it describes: a small pin used to hold clothes on a line while they dry. So it means 'a small clip used to attach clothes to a clothesline'.