Word.ws English Dictionary

pincushion

Syllables: pin·cush·ion/ˈpɪnˌkʊʃn̩/US/ˈpɪnˌkʊʃ(ə)n/

pincushion noun: a device, originally like a small, stuffed cushion, designed to have sewing pins and needles stuck into it to store them safely; some modern pincushions hold the objects magnetically.

pincushion: a device, originally like a small, stuffed cushion, designed to have sewing pins and needles stuck...
Image: Dvortygirl, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun

pincushion (plural pincushions)

  1. A device, originally like a small, stuffed cushion, designed to have sewing pins and needles stuck into it to store them safely; some modern pincushions hold the objects magnetically.
    • Then for womens cloaths, the cabadge of cloath of ſilver, brancht Sattin, and the like, went for pin-cuſhions, pin-pillows, womens purſes; and if black, Church-wardens capes.1671, [Richard Head (denies authorship); Francis Kirkman (purported)], “He is Bound Prentice to a Taylor, the Knavery of that Trade, His Master of a Stitch, He is Turn’d over to a Baker, who Misusing...
    • Some were condenſing Air into a dry tangible Subſtance, by extracting the Nitre, and letting the aqueous or fluid Particles percolate; others ſoftening Marble for Pillows or Pincuſhions; others petrifying the Hoofs of a living Horſe to preſerve them from foundring.1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Author Permitted to See the Grand Academy of Lagado. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume II, London...
  2. A flowering plant in the genus Leucospermum.
    • [S]ee how the knowledge of the climate tolerances of one South African shrub, the Saldana pincushion (Leucospermum tomentosum) is integrated with projections of a global circulation model applied to the southern tip of South Africa [...].2008, Fred Van Dyke, “Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Change”, in Conservation Biology: Foundations, Concepts, Applications, 2nd edition, Dordrecht: Springer Science+Business Media, →ISBN...
  3. A flowering plant in the genus Scabiosa.
    • Scabiosa, often called mourning bride, pincushion flower, and sweet scabious, is an easily grown, old-fashioned, half-hardy annual. It is very attractive and satisfactory both for cutting and for borders and beds.1950 October, S. L. Emsweller, “Scabiosa”, in Growing Annual Flowering Plants (U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmers’ Bulletin; no. 1171), Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, →OCLC...
  4. A coral bead plant, coral moss, or English baby tears (Nertera granadensis), an ornamental plant.
  5. A dustymaiden, a flowering plant in the genus Chaenactis.
    • An abundant wildflower following good winter rains, Fremont pincushion [Chaenactis fremontii] features heads composed entirely of white or pinkish disk flowers.1989 April, Janice Emily Bowers, “Fremont Pincushion”, in 100 Desert Wildflowers of the Southwest, Tucson, Ariz.: Southwest Parks and Monuments Association, published January 1998 (5th printing)...
    • Pebble pincushion [Chaenactis carphoclinia], a delicate annual wildflower with deeply divided leaves, has white or pinkish flowers crowded into heads. If the heads resemble pincushions, then the stamens poking out of the flowers must represent the pins.1999, Janice Emily Bowers, “Plants by Blossom Color”, in Flowers and Shrubs of the Mojave Desert, Tucson, Ariz.: Southwest Parks and Monuments Association, →ISBN, page 46
  6. A pincushion cactus, of the genera Escobaria or Mammillaria.
    • Alverson's pincushion cactus (Coryophantha vivipara var. alversonii), under status review by the USF&WS for possible listing as threatened or endangered, is reported to occur the along the northwest boundary of the WSA.1990, “Sheephole/Cadiz: CDCA 305”, in California Statewide Wilderness Study Report, volume 5, part 4, Washington, D.C.; Sacramento, Calif.: Bureau of Land Management, →OCLC, page 5
  7. A pincushionplant, a flowering plant in the genus Navarretia.
    • Marigold pincushion [Navarretia tagetina], however, is widespread throughout the region except along the coast. [...] In eastern Sacramento County, it grows together with downy pincushion (Navarretia pubescens) in small clearings in blue oak woodland.2018, Eva Begley, “Flowering Plants: Dicotyledons”, in Plants of Northern California: A Field Guide to Plants West of the Sierra Nevada, Lanham, Md.: Falcon Guides, Rowman & Littlefield Publishing...
  8. (colloquial, figuratively) A person who is pricked or stabbed multiple times with sharp objects; specifically, someone who receives regular hypodermic needle injections.
    • Insulin-dependent diabetics are human pincushions.
    • It took an hour to get there, and by the time the job was done we had collected so many cactus thorns that we felt like human pincushions.1922 May–October, John Edwin Hogg, “Hunting Wild Goats by Seaplane”, in The Wide World Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly of True Narrative, Adventure, Travel, Customs, and Sport, volume XLIX, London...

Verb

pincushion (third-person singular simple present pincushions, present participle pincushioning, simple past and past participle pincushioned)

  1. (also, figuratively, transitive) To jab or stick repeatedly with one or more sharp objects, as with pins into a pincushion.
    • The target was pincushioned with arrows.
    • [page 290] Then Esther would be constantly making us little presents; little pin-cushions, and purses, and such like, which it was impossible to refuse. [...] [W]e had some very fine old lace, which had belonged to our mother, and we agreed that we would give this to Esther. [...] [pages 291–292]...[1853, [Anne Marsh-Caldwell], chapter XVI, in The Longwoods of the Grange. … In Three Volumes, volume I, London: Hurst and Blackett, publishers, successors to Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 290 and...
  2. (intransitive) To assume the shape of a pincushion; specifically, of the image on a computer display, television, etc., to exhibit pincushion distortion, where the sides curve inwards.
    • A monitor is pincushioning when the display appears to have curved sides.2001, Michael Byrd, Jim Pearson, Robert A. Saigh, “Graphics”, in Handbook of Computer Troubleshooting, Chicago, Ill.; London: Glenlake Publishing Company; Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, →ISBN, page 206
    • [page 42] Flaps, however, ‘pin cushion’ and develop a convex form as they contract. For this reason, flaps are best used to resurface convex surfaces. A skin graft is best for planar or concave recipient sites. [...] [page 282] As the flap contracts, it pin cushions. This trapdoor effect can...2009, Frederick Menick, “The Nasal Defect – Understanding the Challenge”; “Restoring Contour – Recreating a Subsurface Architecture”, in Nasal Reconstruction: Art and Practice, [Edinburgh]: Mosby...

pincushion meaning in Tamil and Kannada

pincushion in Tamil

ஊசிப்பஞ்சு

pincushion in Kannada

ಆಣಿಮೂಡಾವೆ, ಸೂಜಿಮೆತ್ತೆ

Examples of pincushion in a sentence

  • How great an analogy is there between man and a pincuſhion.1793 September, “Essay on a Pincushion. Addressed to Miss Hales.”, in The Lady’s Magazine; or, Entertaining Companion for the Fair Sex...
  • Here, take thy satin pincushion, with thy curious half-hundred of pins in it, that you made such a vapouring about yesterday; tell them carefully, there's not one wanting.[1824?], T. King, “Lovers Quarrels; or, Like Master Like Man: An Interlude, in One Act. Altered from ‘The Mistake’ of Sir John Vanbrugh, by...
  • Do you think I am going to allow my body to be made a pincushion of, by every little frog-eater who don't like the shape of your nose?1905 January 12, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “An Exquisite of ’92”, in The Scarlet Pimpernel, popular edition, London: Greening &...
  • All our foolish little paper-knives and pincushions have their origin in the gold and myrrh and frankincense that the three wise men brought to that lowly stable in Bethlehem.1923, Compton Mackenzie, “The First Sermon”, in The Parson’s Progress, London; New York, N.Y.: Cassell and Company, →OCLC, page 24:

Forms of pincushion

Noun
pluralpincushions
alternative formpin cushion
alternative formpin-cushion
Verb
third-person singular presentpincushions
present participlepincushioning
past participlepincushioned
pastpincushioned

Origin of pincushion

The noun is derived from pin + cushion. The verb is derived from the noun.

Words formed from pincushion

Phrases with pincushion

Questions about pincushion

What does pincushion mean?
Pincushion means a device, originally like a small, stuffed cushion, designed to have sewing pins and needles stuck into it to store them safely; some modern pincushions hold the objects magnetically.
What is pincushion in Tamil?
Pincushion in Tamil is ஊசிப்பஞ்சு. See Pincushion meaning in Tamil.
How do you use pincushion in a sentence?
How great an analogy is there between man and a pincuſhion.
What part of speech is pincushion?
Pincushion can be a noun or a verb.
How do you pronounce pincushion?
Pincushion is pronounced /ˈpɪnˌkʊʃn̩/ (UK).
What is the plural of pincushion?
The plural of pincushion is pincushions.

Words near pincushion in the dictionary

  1. pincpinc
  2. pincurl
  3. pincurls
  4. Pincus
  5. Pincuses
  6. pincushion
  7. pincushion corner
  8. pincushion corners
  9. pincushion distortion
  10. pincushion doll
  11. pincushion dolls

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: pincushion (page history and authors); pincushion (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); pincushion (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-pincushion.wav.

Cite this entry: “pincushion.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/pincushion. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.