pinion

Meanings

Noun

• A wing.
• The joint of a bird's wing farthest from the body.
• Any of the outermost primary feathers on a bird's wing.
• A moth of the genus Lithophane (genus).
• A fetter for the arm.
• The smallest gear in a gear train.

Verb

• To cut off the pinion of a bird’s wing, or otherwise disable or bind its wings, in order to prevent it from flying.
• To bind the arms of someone, so as to deprive him of their use; to disable by so binding.
• To restrain; to limit.

Origin

• From Old French pignon, from Latin penna ("feather").
• Borrowed from French pignon.