How to use pinion in a sentence

12 example sentences · noun, verb

Pinion means a wing. Example: “This machine transfers a heavy load via a rack and pinion.”

Examples of pinion by meaning

verbTo bind the arms of someone, so as to deprive him of their use; to disable by so binding.

Pinioning its extremities with the edge of the towel, she crushed off its offensive and defensive weapons with a splinter from the wall.1907, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Human Toll (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia...
Nash pinioned his arms behind while Boland seized a long cabbage stump which was lying in the gutter.1916, James Joyce, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Macmillan Press Ltd, paperback, page 80
Both my arms are pinioned from behind by the Director of Comp., who wrestles me roughly down, on me with all his weight.1996, David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest […], Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Little, Brown and Company, →ISBN, page 12

verbTo restrain; to limit.

When I could look up, I saw a number of giant fingers pinioning me down, while others stood about surveying me.1918 September–November, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Land That Time Forgot”, in The Blue Book Magazine, Chicago, Ill.: Story-press Corp....
I am pinioned by a chain of reasoning!1999: Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane, Sleepy Hollow, scene 14

More sentences with pinion

This machine transfers a heavy load via a rack and pinion.From the entry rack and pinion
This car came with rack and pinion, disc brakes, and a turbocharger at a time when all of those things seemed like exotic luxuries.From the entry rack and pinion
Sophie stomped over to the bed, wearing an ugly pink pomponed hat, hands pinioned grimly to her waist.2008, Monica Ferrell, The Answer Is Always Yes, New York, N.Y.: The Dial Press, →ISBN, page 208. From the entry pomponed
Gearwheels and pinions can be removed by the oil injection method, a provision which speeds and simplifies the work of replacement.1962 June, “The 2,800 h.p. Brush "Falcon" diesel-electric”, in Modern Railways, page 380. From the entry gearwheel
Heart near bursting, I lightly slipped the bridle over Brother, seized his great (near) pinion, swung astride, was off before the guards reswarmed.1974, Barth, John, Chimera, Deutsch, page 192. From the entry reswarm
The machines are supported at the pinion end by the gearcase itself and at the other end by cross-members of the bogie frame.1964 February, “French 155mph electric locomotives”, in Modern Railways, page 124. From the entry crossmember
The latter engaged with two larger gears, between which, and on the same shaft, was the pinion to engage with the rack rail.1952 December, John C. Gillham, “Rack Railways at Königswinter”, in Railway Magazine, page 843. From the entry countershaft

Meaning of pinion

noun A wing.
noun The joint of a bird's wing farthest from the body.
noun Any of the outermost primary feathers on a bird's wing.

Full definition of pinion

Questions about pinion in a sentence

How do you use pinion in a sentence?: Pinion is used as a noun and verb. For example: “This machine transfers a heavy load via a rack and pinion.”
What is a short sentence with pinion?: “I am pinioned by a chain of reasoning!”
What does pinion mean?: Pinion means a wing.

Adapted from Wiktionary: pinion (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this page: “How to use pinion in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/pinion. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.