Standard Lemma guide

hairpin

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈhɛə.pɪn/
  • US: /ˈhɛɚ.pɪn/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A pin or fastener for the hair.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A kind of ribozyme; hairpin ribozyme.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A very tight bend in a road; a hairpin bend.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: attributive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An elongated horizontal v-shaped sign placed underneath a staff to indicate a crescendo or decrescendo.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a double pronged pin used to hold women's hair in place

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: pin

Narrower terms: bobby pin, hairgrip, grip, bodkin

History

Etymology

From hair + pin, 1788 (as hair pin). Adjective sense 1906 in hairpin turn etc.

Across languages

Translations

64 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: haarnaald — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Ahtna: netseʼ taniʼaay — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Arabic: دَبُّوس — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Arabic: ماشة (māša) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Arabic: فنتة (fanta) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Azerbaijani: sancaq — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Azerbaijani: sıxac — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Belarusian: шпі́лька (špílʹka) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Bulgarian: фиба (fiba) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Bulgarian: фуркет (furket) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Chinese Mandarin: 釵 /钗 (chāi) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Chinese Mandarin: 簪 (zān) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Chinese Mandarin: 髮夾 /发夹 — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Chinese Mandarin: 髮卡 /发卡 (fàqiǎ, fǎqiǎ) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Dutch: haarspeld — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Dutch: haarnaald — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Finnish: hiusneula — pin or fastener for the hair
  • French: épingle à cheveux — pin or fastener for the hair
  • French: épingle — pin or fastener for the hair
  • West-Frisian: hierspjelde — pin or fastener for the hair
  • German: Haarnadel — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Greek: φουρκέτα (fourkéta) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Mbya Guarani: 'a regua — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Irish: pionna gruaige — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Irish: biorán gruaige — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Italian: forcina — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Japanese: ヘアピン (heapin) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Korean: 머리핀 (meoripin) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Korean: 헤어핀 (heeopin) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Korean: 머리빈침 (meoribinchim) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Latin: crīnāle — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Latin: discerniculum — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Macedonian: шно́ла (šnóla) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Manipuri: ꯁꯝꯐꯥꯕꯤ (samphābi) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Navajo: tsiighá bił dah sitání — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Navajo: tsiighá bił dah nátį́hí — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hårnål — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: hårnål — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Plautdietsch: Spald — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Polish: szpilka do włosów — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Polish: spinka — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Portuguese: grampo — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Portuguese: gancho — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Russian: шпи́лька (špílʹka) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Russian: шпи́лька для воло́с (špílʹka dlja volós) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Russian: зако́лка (zakólka) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Serbo-Croatian: укосница — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Serbo-Croatian: ùkosnica — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Slovene: lasnica — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Spanish: horquilla — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Spanish: gancho — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Spanish: pinche — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Spanish: ondulín — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Spanish: rascamoño — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Spanish: pincho — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Spanish: pin — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Swedish: hårnål — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Tagalog: aguhilya — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Thai: ปิ่น (bpìn) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Ottoman Turkish: فوركته (furketa) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Ukrainian: шпи́лька для воло́сся (špýlʹka dlja volóssja) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Ukrainian: шпи́лька (špýlʹka) — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Vietnamese: trâm — pin or fastener for the hair
  • Vietnamese: thoa — pin or fastener for the hair