bodkin

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See also: Bodkin

English

The Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife, a modern-day dagger (4)
A bodkin arrowhead (5)

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English boydekin (“dagger”), apparently from *boyde, *boide (of unknown [Celtic?] origin) + -kin. Cognate with Scots botkin, boitkin, boikin (“bodkin”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɒdkɪn/
  • Audio (Berkshire):(file)

Noun

bodkin (plural bodkins)

  1. A small sharp pointed tool for making holes in cloth or leather.
  2. A blunt needle used for threading ribbon or cord through a hem or casing.
    • 2017, Barry R. Harker, It’s Sunday in America‎[1], →ISBN:
      As with compulsory Sunday worship, death for blasphemy was for the third offence. A bodkin, a large blunt needle, was thrust through the tongue for the second offence.
  3. A hairpin.
    • 1831, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Romance and Reality, volume 2, page 533:
      A rich, flushed colour—large black eyes—teeth that shone from their brilliant whiteness—a slender shape—and most minute feet, in such little shoes of Cordova leather—a silver chain round her neck, to which hung a medal of the Madonna—a dark-brown boddice and short skirt, relieved by a lacing of scarlet riband—long black hair, bound in one large plait round the head, and fastened by a silver bodkin.
  4. A dagger.
    • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 265:
      When he himſelfe might his Quietus make / With a bare Bodkin?
    • 1932, D. H. Lawrence, The Ship of Death:
      And can a man his own quietus make / with a bare bodkin? / With daggers, bodkins, bullets, man can make / a bruise or break of exit for his life; / but is that a quietus, O tell me, is it quietus?
  5. A type of long thin arrowhead.
  6. (printing) A sharp tool, like an awl, formerly used for pressing down individual type characters letters from a column or page in making corrections.

Translations

Adverb

bodkin (not comparable)

  1. Closely wedged between two people.
    to sit bodkin
    • 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, “In Which Becky Is Recognised by the Family”, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 366:
      He's too big to travel bodkin between you and me.
    • 1904, Elizabeth von Arnim, The Adventures of Elizabeth in Rügen, MacMillan, 1904
      Either he must come between us and be what is known as bodkin, or some one must get out and walk; and the bodkin solution not commending itself to me it was plain that if some one walked it must be myself.
    • 2018, Delphi Complete Works of R. S. Surtees (Illustrated)
      Moreover, Mr. Jorrocks insisted upon riding bodkin — a very awkward-sized bodkin he was — especially as he would have all three to sit back, so that the conversation might be general.

Further reading

Anagrams

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