pin-up

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A photograph of an attractive person, usually a woman, made to be put on a wall or in a magazine.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say a pin-up or two pin-ups.

   Patterns

   • a pin-up of someone
   • a pin-up on the wall

   He had a pin-up of a 1950s film star above his desk.

   The magazine printed pin-ups of dancers and singers.

   She collected old pin-ups from the war years.

2. 2nouncountableinformal

   A famous person, especially an actor or singer, who is admired and whose picture fans display.

   Grammar: Countable and often used with of: a pin-up of the team.

   Patterns

   • a pin-up of something
   • someone's pin-up

   The young goalkeeper became a pin-up for fans across the country.

   In the 1980s she was a pin-up for a whole generation of teenagers.

3. 3adjectivebefore a noun

   Relating to the retro style of such photographs, with red lipstick, curls, and vintage clothing.

   Grammar: Comes before a noun: pin-up style, pin-up dress.

   Patterns

   • pin-up style
   • pin-up look
   • pin-up model

   She wore a pin-up dress with bright red lipstick.

   The shoot had a classic pin-up look, all curls and polka dots.

4. 4nouncountable

   A picture of a person that you cut out and attach to a wall for decoration.

   Grammar: Countable; often used in the plural.

   Patterns

   • put up a pin-up

   His bedroom walls were covered with pin-ups from music magazines.

Word forms

Common combinations

pin-up girl

The exhibition featured pin-up girls from the 1940s.

pin-up model

She worked as a pin-up model before becoming an actress.

pin-up poster

He bought a pin-up poster for his dorm room.

become a pin-up

The singer became a pin-up almost overnight.

pin-up style

Her hair was done in a 1950s pin-up style.

Synonyms and how they differ

glamour photo

A broader term for any flattering posed picture; it does not carry the retro or fan-culture feeling of pin-up.

idol

Focuses on being admired and worshipped rather than on the pictures people collect.

centerfold

Specifically the large picture in the middle of a magazine, while a pin-up can be any size or place.

Word family

pin verb

To fasten something with a pin; also the small sharp object itself, from which the compound comes.

pinup noun

A spelling without the hyphen that appears in some American publications.

Commonly confused: pin-up or pinups? pin-up or pin down?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “pin-up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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