clothespin
UK[ˈkləʊðzpɪn]US[ˈkloʊðzpɪn]
n
a small device, typically made of wood or plastic, used for fastening wet laundry to a clothesline to dry.
Morpheme Breakdown
clothes
pin
clothes
garments, apparel
pin
a thin piece of metal or wood used for fastening
Etymology
the word 'clothespin' is a transparent compound formed from two old english roots. 'clothes' derives from the old english 'claþas', the plural of 'claþ', meaning 'cloth' or 'garment', which has germanic origins. 'pin' comes from old english 'pinn', meaning a peg or a pointed piece of wood, also of germanic descent. the compound logically describes the object's function: a pin specifically designed for securing clothes. it is a classic example of a functional, descriptive compound in english, where the combined literal meaning of its parts directly and clearly denotes the modern object.
Analysis
Structure: clothes + pin
clothes (old english, functional role: base noun, meaning 'garments, apparel')
pin (old english, functional role: base noun, meaning 'a thin piece of metal or wood used for fastening')
Examples
she secured the wet shirt to the line with a wooden clothespin.
a strong gust of wind blew the sheet off the line, breaking the plastic clothespin.
he bought a bag of colorful clothespins for the laundry.