Meaning & use
pinked
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“pinked” is a form of “pink”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitivespecialist
Past tense and past participle of pink: cut the edge of cloth or paper in a zigzag pattern so it will not fray.
Grammar: Takes an object: she pinked the seams.
Patterns
- pink the edges
- pinked seams
She pinked the edges of the fabric to stop them unraveling.
The tailor pinked every seam before pressing it.
The pinked edge of the card looked decorative.
verbtransitiveliteraryold-fashioned
Past tense of pink: to pierce or prick lightly with a pointed weapon, as in a duel.
Grammar: Takes an object, and mostly appears in old stories: he pinked his opponent.
Patterns
- pink someone with a blade
In the novel, the duelist pinked his rival on the arm.
The fencer pinked her with a sharp thrust to the shoulder.
Word forms
| base | pink |
|---|---|
| third person singular | pinks |
| past participle | pinked |
| -ing form | pinking |
Common combinations
- pinked edges
- Pinked edges stop cotton from fraying.
- pinked seams
- Her dress had neat pinked seams.
- pinked with scissors
- The fabric was pinked with special scissors.
- pinked border
- A pinked border gave the invitation a handmade look.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- pink verb
- to cut with a zigzag edge
- pinking shears noun
- scissors that cut a zigzag
- pinking noun
- the act or result of cutting such an edge
Commonly confused: pinked or pink?
pinked vs pink
Pink as a color is unrelated in everyday use to the verb, but the two spellings are identical, so check context.
Practice
To stop the cotton from fraying, she ______ the raw edges with special zigzag scissors.
Choose one answer.
Cutting edges with zigzag shears is pinking, so pinked is correct. Pinned would mean fastened with pins.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pinked”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.