pincushion

/ˈpɪnˌkʊʃn̩/

//ˈpɪnˌkʊʃn̩// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"pincushion" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pincushion” is uncommon English (frequency #78,941 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#78,941
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A device, originally like a small, stuffed cushion, designed to have sewing pins and needles stuck into it to store them safely; some modern pincushions hold the objects magnetically.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pincushion · pincushion · English

pincushion · rank #78,941 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #78,941
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH plaice

Nearest frequency peer: plaice (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “pincushion”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “pincushion” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for pincushion
PropertyValue
Headwordpincushion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɪnˌkʊʃn̩/
Letters10
Frequency rank#78,941
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “pincushion” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).pincushionfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “plaice” (#78,942), “pilings” (#78,939), “piledriver” (#78,938). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “pincushion” is #78,941. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

pincushion is uncommon English at frequency #78,941 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɪnˌkʊʃn̩/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 8 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for pincushion, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is derived from pin + cushion. The verb is derived from the noun. The correct English form is pincushion, spelled P-I-N-C-U-S-H-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device, originally like a small, stuffed cushion, designed to have sewing pins and needles stuck into it to store them safely; some modern pincushions hold the objects magnetically.
  2. 2
    The names of various plants with flowers or other parts resembling a pincushion.
  3. 3
    The names of various plants with flowers or other parts resembling a pincushion.
  4. 4
    The names of various plants with flowers or other parts resembling a pincushion.
  5. 5
    The names of various plants with flowers or other parts resembling a pincushion.
  6. 6
    The names of various plants with flowers or other parts resembling a pincushion.
  7. 7
    The names of various plants with flowers or other parts resembling a pincushion.
  8. 8
    A person who is pricked or stabbed multiple times with sharp objects; specifically, someone who receives regular hypodermic needle injections.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how pincushion appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Then for womens cloaths, the cabadge of cloath of ſilver, brancht Sattin, and the like, went for pin-cuſhions, pin-pillows, womens purſes; and if black, Church-wardens capes.
  2. Some were condenſing Air into a dry tangible Subſtance, by extracting the Nitre, and letting the aqueous or fluid Particles percolate; others ſoftening Marble for Pillows or Pincuſhions; others petrifying the Hoofs of a living Horſe to preſerve them from foundring.

Etymology

The noun is derived from pin + cushion. The verb is derived from the noun.

This word in other languages

agujero(Español)pique-aiguille(Français)Nadelkissen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "pincushion"?
"pincushion" is spelled P-I-N-C-U-S-H-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɪnˌkʊʃn̩/.
What does "pincushion" mean?
As a noun, "pincushion" means: A device, originally like a small, stuffed cushion, designed to have sewing pins and needles stuck into it to store them safely; some modern pincushions hold the objects magnetically.
How do you pronounce "pincushion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pincushion" is /ˈpɪnˌkʊʃn̩/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "pincushion"?
The noun is derived from pin + cushion. The verb is derived from the noun. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "pincushion", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

piledriver#78,938pentameter#78,932portcullis#78,951Pendergast#78,930

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list