unpinn.
/ˈʌnpɪn/, U.S. /ˈənˌpɪn/ Chess.
The action or an act of releasing a pinned piece or pawn. Cf. unpin v. 4.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > board game > chess > [noun] > strategy > specific strategies or tactics
unpinning1607
defence1614
fork1656
attack1733
backgame1750
castling1813
exchange1823
pin1868
fringe-variation1898
fidation1910
sacrifice1915
unpin1922
pawn storm1926
Siesta variation1935
liquidation1965
sac1965
1922 G. Hume & A. C. White Good Compan. Two-mover 187 There are six unpins, five of which are direct..while the sixth is an Interference Unpin.
1928 Observer 24 June 25 These three variations are highly complex, the first two illustrating the unpin of the White Q by half-pinned Black Kt's.
1973 Financial Times 29 Dec. 4/6 The solution will depend on unpins.
2003 Times 28 June (Weekend section) 17/3 The solution..leads to a remarkable collection of pins and unpins.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2014; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
unpinv.
/(ˌ)ʌnˈpɪn/, U.S. /ˌənˈpɪn/ 1.
a. transitive. To withdraw the pin or bolt of (a door, gate, etc.); to unbolt. Also intransitive. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being open or not closed > open [verb (transitive)] > a door, gate, etc. > unlock, unbolt, etc.
undoc950
unloukOE
unsparc1175
unsteekc1250
unpinc1300
unshutc1315
loosec1400
unbarc1400
unlockc1400
open?a1425
unbolt1598
unlatchc1625
unpadlock1769
unsneck1785
undub1807
unslot1827
unsnib1905
snick1927
c1300 (?c1225) King Horn (Laud) (1901) l. 1018 (MED) Reymyld gan dore vn pynne.
c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. xi. l. 108 Þe porter vnpynned þe ȝate.
c1400 (c1378) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Laud 581) (1869) B. xviii. l. 261 Prynces of þis place vnpynneth & vnlouketh!
a1450 (?a1300) Richard Coer de Lyon (Caius) (1810) l. 4212 On schal dwelle the clos withinne, The gate to unschette and unpynne, And stylly to unschette the lok.
a1547 Earl of Surrey tr. Virgil Certain Bks. Aenæis (1557) ii. sig. Bii Sinon..Let fouth the Grekes enclosed in the womb, The closures eke of pine by stealth vnpind.
1584 True Disc. Woman possessed with Deuill sig. A.vii Whether the woman did vnpin the windowe, or how it came to passe they knewe not.
1607 M. Drayton Legend Cromwel 35 Peace the good porter readie still at hand It doth vnpin.
1654 E. Gayton Pleasant Notes Don Quixot iv. xix. 266 When your Sinon shall unpinne the bars, You shall returne, first to love, then wars.
1726 W. R. Chetwood Voy. & Adventures Capt. R. Boyle 76 She rais'd her Hand, and unpinn'd a Shutter, that fell down, and let Light enough into the Cabin.
1753 T. Smollett Ferdinand Count Fathom I. xxix. 207 The quaker..unpinned the other coach door..and trundled himself into the mud.
1826 W. Scott Woodstock II. i. 7 Joan unpinned the door, to demand who was without.
1873 Littell's Living Age Feb. 314/1 Unpinning the door of a good cottage, we found a tidy, shady room.
1987 Flightfax (U.S. Army Safety Center) 19 Aug. 1/2 The CE unpinned the door without receiving clearance.
b. transitive. To remove the pegs, dowels, rods, etc., from (something fastened or held together by these); to unfasten, take apart, or detach in this way. Also in extended use.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > cause or effect (harm) [verb (transitive)] > do harm or injury to > affect detrimentally > impair the stability of
shake1545
unpin1587
stagger1613
the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > separation > separation or detachment > loosening or unfastening > loosen, unfasten, or untie [verb (transitive)] > undo specific fastening
unbucklec1386
unnail1485
unclasp1530
unsolder1538
disbuckle1562
unpin1587
unrivet1591
unlink1595
unloop1599
unpeg1604
unhasp1610
uncord1611
unhoop1611
unwedge1611
unsplint1615
refibulate1623
replumb1623
unlatchc1625
unscrew1651
unclamp1655
unrope1673
unstring1681
unlash1796
unkey1802
unspring1802
unwire1823
unstrap1828
unscotch1839
unclap1846
unspike1846
uncramp1851
unspear1859
untoggle1859
unsnap1862
undraw1872
disbutton1887
uncinch1891
disimpale1904
unzip1927
zip1927
unzipper1936
1587 J. Harmar tr. T. de Bèze Serm. 384 As for his Coch, seeing it so villanouslie vsed and so il handled as it was, he would not onely haue it to be vnharnished.., but also vnpinned, disioynted and pulled asunder.
1633 G. Herbert Constancie vii, in Temple i Whom neither force nor fawning can Unpinne, or wrench from giving all their due.
1682 N. Grew Of Mixture i. iii. §16 in Anat. Plants 228 [The atoms of] any fixed unodorable, or untastable Body..being not able to make any Smell or Taste, unless they were first dissolved; that is to say, unpin'd one from another.
a1683 P. Warwick Mem. Reign Charles I (1701) 6 They have in a great measure unpinned the firmness of the government.
1722 Whipping-Tom I. iv. 40 Tho' you celebrate an uninterrupted Holy-Day of Joy and Pleasure,..yet will a saucy Disease intrude upon you at last, unpin the Foundation of all these ravishing Glories, and tumble you into Rottenness and the Grave.
1783 Philos. Trans. 1782 (Royal Soc.) 72 352 The two rods are lashed together..and then the ratchets unpinned and removed.
1825 ‘J. Nicholson’ Operative Mechanic 500 When the upper part of the frame..is unpinned and removed.
1898 R. Kipling Day's Work 5 The piled trucks of brown and white stone banging behind them till the side-boards were unpinned.
1904 Sumner (Iowa) Jrnl. 22 Dec. Duncan attempted to unpin the head cars by the use of the lever which works the coupler.
1984 Operator's Instr. 40-ton Crane (U.S. Dept. Army) iv. 9/2 Unpin the upper spreader from the boom base.
2008 D. Danenberg Compl. Wooden Runabout Restoration Guide xii. 401/2 This unit must be unpinned and removed to launch or retrieve the boat.
2.
a. transitive. To remove a pin or pins from (an item of clothing, one's hair, etc.); to detach by removing or releasing a pin or pins. Also in figurative context.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > providing with clothing > undressing or removing clothing > undress or remove clothing [verb (transitive)] > take off clothing > unfasten garments or fastenings
unbuttonc1325
unlacec1330
untruss1577
unlatch1590
unpin1599
unhook1840
unzip1927
1599 T. Heywood 1st Pt. King Edward IV sig. E3 Enter the Queene and Duchesse with their riding roddes, vnpinning their masks.
1605 P. Erondelle French Garden O 8 b Go to, take of my cloathes vnpinne that, vntie this.
1662 W. Gurnall Christian in Armour: 3rd Pt. 256 Unpinne this Story, take off that gaudy phrase, and nothing is left in the discourse.
1709 R. Steele Tatler No. 36. ⁋3 She..began to unpin her hood.
1740 S. Richardson Pamela II. 21 He began to unpin my Handkerchief.
1769 Lady M. Coke Jrnl. 8 Feb. (1892) III. 19 My Maids had pin'd up the train of my Sack to my back, and had forgot to unpin it.
1849 C. Brontë Shirley III. ii. 40 Who gave you this little brooch? Let me unpin it and look at it.
1860 E. Eden Semi-attached Couple I. vi. 58 Sarah unpinned a gigantic bunch of camellias.
1887 G. M. Fenn Master of Cerem. i Unpinning a piece of paper that guarded the gay silks and wools.
1906 M. Reed Spinner in Sun i. 12 She unpinned her veil, took down her heavy white hair, and braided it.
1970 N. Bawden Birds on Trees (1991) viii. 136 Her mother unpinned her hat in front of the glass.
1991 P. Barker Regeneration xix. 215 He reached up and unpinned her hair, shaking it out at the sides of her head.
2006 G. Hamilton in K. Witherspoon & A. Friedman Don't try this at Home (2007) 179 I went downstairs and unpinned the schedule from the cork board.
b. transitive. To undo the dress of (a woman) by the removal of pins. Also figurative. Also intransitive. Now chiefly historical and rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > providing with clothing > undressing or removing clothing > undress or remove clothing [verb (intransitive)] > unfasten
untruss1592
unpin1609
unbuttona1616
unzip1942
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > providing with clothing > undressing or removing clothing > undress or remove clothing [verb (transitive)] > strip or undress a person > unfasten
unlacea1375
unbutton1598
unpin1609
disenwrap1611
undo1633
untruss1637
unhook1840
unzip1939
1609 T. Heywood Troia Britanica iii. sig. F4v Full faine the Lasle her swelling brest would hide, She pins and vnpins with her thumbe and finger.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Othello (1623) iv. iii. 33 Æmi. Shall I go fetch your Night-gowne? Des. No, vn-pin me here.
1641 J. Milton Animadversions 9 The peremptory Analysis..will be so hardy as once more to unpinne your spruce fastidious oratory, to rumple her laces [etc.].
1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones V. xiii. iii. 22 Mrs. Etoff, who had the Honour to pin and unpin the Lady Bellaston. View more context for this quotation
1760 G. A. Stevens Hist. Tom Fool I. xiii. 67 She upstarted, ordering the trembling Betty to attend her, to unpin, to draw the Curtains, and read her to Sleep.
1815 ‘J. Mathers’ Hist. Mr. John Decastro & Brother Bat III. 331 Come and unpin me, O my dearest husband!
1864 G. Meredith Emilia in Eng. III. xix. 269 When I unpin Miss Laura at night, I'm as likely as not to get a silk dress that ain't been worn more than half-a-dozen times.
1998 E. E. White Voy. Great Titanic 40 Hortense and Mabel had a great deal of trouble unpinning me from my dress.
3. intransitive. To become unpinned or unfastened. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > separation > separation or detachment > loosening or unfastening > be loosened, unfastened, or undone [verb (intransitive)] > become unfastened in other specific way
unlocka1470
unpin1716
unscrew1822
unzip1936
1716 Lady M. W. Montagu Tuesday in Town Eclogues 74 Reaching the kettle made her gown unpin.
1981 K. C. Abrams et al. Story Amer. Oil Industry 118/2 Each of these four units unpins easily.
4. transitive. Chess. To release (a pinned piece or pawn), as by moving away the piece it is protecting, capturing the piece creating the pin, etc.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > board game > chess > [verb (transitive)] > tactics
to shut up1474
to take upc1475
neck1597
catch1674
to discover check1688
attack1735
retreat1744
fork1745
pin1745
retake1750
guard1761
interpose1761
castle1764
retract1777
to take (a pawn) en passant1818
capture1820
decline1847
cook1851
undouble1868
unpin1878
counter1890
fidate1910
sacrifice1915
fianchetto1927
1874 City of London Chess Mag. July 135 Black must move an unpinned Knight.]
1878 S. Loyd Chess Strategy 145 The key unpins the Black Queen.
1969 Illustr. London News 19 Apr. 38/4 Q–K1, to unpin his bishop, was essential.
2004 Chess Jan. 14/1 I have no good squares to unpin my queen yet.
Derivatives
unˈpinning n.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > board game > chess > [noun] > strategy > specific strategies or tactics
unpinning1607
defence1614
fork1656
attack1733
backgame1750
castling1813
exchange1823
pin1868
fringe-variation1898
fidation1910
sacrifice1915
unpin1922
pawn storm1926
Siesta variation1935
liquidation1965
sac1965
1607 T. Tomkis Lingua iv. vi. sig. I2v There is such doing with their looking-glasses, pinning, vnpinning, setting, vnseting,..that ye: shee is scarse drest to the girdle.
1806 Port Folio 15 Feb. 92/1 Here, Sir, there is no unpinning or unbuttoning.
1906 A. C. White Tours de Force p. xxxvii The more general tasks can be grouped under several heads: checking, sacrificing, pinning and unpinning, [etc.].
2006 J. Londraville & R. Londraville Most Beautiful Man in World x. 177 Undoing, unnailing, unpinning, pulling down was every day's exercise.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2014; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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