画鋲(がびょう)

Combines 画(が) (picture/drawing) and 鋲(びょう) (tack/rivet). Originally used to pin drawings and documents, the name persists even though thumbtacks are now used for many purposes.

Common collocations

• 画鋲(がびょう)で留(と)める: fasten with a thumbtack
• 画鋲(がびょう)で貼(は)る: pin up with thumbtacks
• 画鋲(がびょう)を刺(さ)す: stick in a thumbtack
• 画鋲(がびょう)を抜(ぬ)く: pull out a thumbtack
• 画鋲(がびょう)を踏(ふ)む: step on a thumbtack

Usage

A common everyday word learned early in school life. Japanese classrooms typically use 画鋲(がびょう) to attach items to cork bulletin boards (掲示板(けいじばん)). The word is universally understood across Japan, though some regions may use the older reading 押(お)しピン.

Similar words

• ピン: pin — a more general loanword; can refer to various types of pins
• 押(お)しピン: pushpin — dialectal variant (mainly Kansai region) for the same item