Pinned

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /pɪnd/

Definitions

1. Attached or fastened using a small pointed object called a pin ; trapped or immobilized by being held firmly in place ; identified as the cause or holder of responsibility for something
2. Secured by a slender piece of metal pushed through or attached to something ; held or stuck tightly so that movement is prevented ; blamed or singled out as responsible for a fault or problem
3. Fixed in position with a pin or similar device ; prevented from escaping or moving freely ; accused or assigned accountability for an action or event

Etymology: "Pinned" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "pin," so its history is really the history of "pin" plus the ending "-ed." The noun "pin" goes back to Proto-Germanic "*pinnaz," a word for a pointed peg or fastening, which passed into Old English as "pinn" and into Middle English as "pinne." The verb "pin" developed from that noun, meaning to fasten something with a pin, and "-ed" is the ordinary English ending that marks a completed action or past state. The ending adds nothing mysterious: "-ed" is the same suffix that turns "walk" into "walked" and "fasten" into "fastened." Its use here is simply what makes "pinned" describe something already fixed in place, such as a corsage pinned to a coat or a notice pinned to a board.

Synonyms: fastened, secured, attached, clipped, held

Antonyms: released, loosened, unattached, disconnected, freed