bodkin

Meanings

Noun

• A small sharp pointed tool for making holes in cloth or leather.
• A blunt needle used for threading ribbon or cord through a hem or casing.
• A hairpin.
• A dagger.
• A type of long thin arrowhead.
• A sharp tool, like an awl, formerly used for pressing down individual type characters letters from a column or page in making corrections.

Adverb

• Closely wedged between two people.

Origin

• + -kin. Cognate with Scots botkin, boitkin, boikin.