What does pinioning mean?
Pinioning means restraining or binding someone, most often by holding or tying the arms or legs. The word has a formal, somewhat old-fashioned tone and commonly appears in descriptions of arrests, imprisonment, or the handling of a prisoner. It can also mean fastening the wings of a bird or other winged animal, though that sense is less frequent in modern usage. In ordinary conversation, people are more likely to say “restraining,” “binding,” or “tying up.” Pinioning is nevertheless a distinctive word because it conveys a precise image of physical restraint while also preserving a formal register associated with law, authority, and confinement. It should not be confused with “pinning,” which usually refers to fastening something with a pin or holding a place, position, or person in place.
verbThe act of restraining someone, especially by binding or holding their arms or wings.
- To restrain or bind a person, especially by securing the arms or legs.
- To fasten or bind the wings of a bird or other winged animal.
"The officers spent the night pinioning the prisoner before escorting him to court."
"The guards were pinioning the suspect when the alarm sounded."
"The keeper was pinioning the injured bird before examining its wing."
Pinioning is what happens when freedom is taken literally: a person is held securely in place by being tied or bound.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pinioning come from?
The underlying verb “pinion” comes through Middle English from Old French “pinon,” a word related to the Latin “pinna,” meaning feather or wing. The word originally referred to fastening or disabling the wings of a bird, and by extension came to describe restraining a person by binding the arms or legs. The modern form “pinioning” is the present participle of that inherited verb.
Related word forms
How pinioning is actually used
This is a formal and relatively literary term, used especially in legal, journalistic, and historical contexts. It is less common in everyday speech than “restraining” or “binding.”
Easily confused with pinioning
Pinning means fastening something with a pin, whereas pinioning means restraining or binding someone, especially the limbs or wings.