English Reference
Noun

hairpin

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate UK /hˈeəpɪn/ hair·pin UK spelling hairpins Biology Music

n.a small, curved piece of metal or plastic used to hold your hair in place. It can also mean a very sharp turn in a road or a sudden change in a musical melody.

n.a small, curved fastener used to secure hair; by extension, a sharp bend in a road or a sudden change in musical pitch. Often used in the plural to describe a series of turns.


SIMPLE

She used a silver hairpin to keep her ponytail in place.

CONTEXTUAL

The narrow mountain road features a series of hairpins that require careful driving to navigate.

COMPLEX

The composer's use of a sudden hairpin in the violin section created a dramatic contrast that silenced the entire audience for a moment.


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

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated