Definition of "safety pin" []

• A pin in the form of a clasp, having a sheath to cover and hold the point. (noun)
• A pin that prevents the premature or accidental detonation of an explosive device, such as a bomb or grenade. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "She dug into her handbag and produced the credit-card-sized travelling sewing kit that she carried for emergencies from life-long habit, and speechlessly she opened it and gave me the small safety pin it contained."
• "He is dressed in a thick unpressed suit and there is a large safety pin attached to his vest: it moors his watch."