safety pin

noun
a pin bent back on itself to form a spring, with a guard to cover the point.

Origin:
1855–60

Dictionary.com Unabridged

safe·ty-pin

[seyf-tee-pin]
verb (used with object), safe·ty-pinned, safe·ty-pin·ning.
to secure or affix with a safety pin: to safety-pin a child's mittens to his coat sleeve.

Origin:
1915–20

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To safety pin
00:10
Safety pin is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
Collins
World English Dictionary
safety pin
 
n
1.  a spring wire clasp with a covering catch, made so as to shield the point when closed and to prevent accidental unfastening
2.  another word for pin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Example sentences
If you use yarn or string, tie one end to a closed safety pin.
Watch for signs of physical pain due to pinching from tight clothes or pricking
  from a safety pin.
The pin on the back is of the safety pin variety, without safety latch.
Mark each family member's towel with a safety pin threaded through a different
  colored bead.
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