What does "bodkin" mean?
Bodkin: (Needlework) An implement of steel, bone, ivory, etc., with a sharp point, for making holes by piercing; a 3. (Print.) A sharp tool, like an awl, used for picking 4. A kind of needle with a large eye and a blunt point, for drawing tape, ribbon, etc., through a loop or a hem; a tape needle. Wedged whole ages in a bodkin's eye. Pope.
Additional senses
- 2.A kind of pin used by women to fasten the hair. To sit, ride, or travel bodkin, to sit closely wedged between two persons. [Colloq.] Thackeray.
- 3.See Baudekin. [Obs.] Shirley.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00