cotter pin
2
7.4
- noun
- /ˈkɒtər pɪn/
- Specialized
:
pasador
- I thought about drilling holes through the frames and seatposts and using bolts or cotter pins to hold the seatposts in place.
- pulling a cotter pin
Examples
-
Improve the parts individually, one available at a time, being careful to successfully retain all the parts you will likely need to put everything back together, including all bolts, bearings, and cotter pins.
Blog text (6) -
Remove the cotter pin from the tie rod end and pop the tie rod end out of the steering arm.
-
- It's a cotter pin.
-
- Down to the last cotter pin.
-
"For the loss of a cotter pin," he mourned, "the young men have died."
Fiction book (1999) -
Val eases the cotter pin from the nose of one of the bombs.
Fiction book (1990) -
You need a cotter pin to secure the wheel assembly tightly.
-
Use pliers to install the tie rod end with a fresh cotter pin.
Synonyms
153
1.0
A small metal or plastic object used to attach things to cloth
4
1.0
A small metal thing with a sharp point and a cover that holds clothes together
2
9.9
A pin or wedge that you push through holes to hold parts together
A small metal pin pushed through two parts to hold them together
A small round metal or wooden rod that you put into holes in two pieces to hold them together
How Secure
Surface Forms
Morphology
The term is a straightforward noun–noun compound: 'cotter' (a metal securing wedge/pin) combined with 'pin' (a fastener) denotes a specific type of pin used to secure parts. This compositional relation follows normal English compounding patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Cotter pin comes from its simple, physical look: a thin pin with a split end called a cotter that you push through a hole. Once it is in place you bend the split ends outward so it cannot come out, and that clear image explains why a cotter pin 'secures' or 'locks' parts together today.