pinhole
UK[ˈpɪn.həʊl]US[ˈpɪn.hoʊl]
n
a very small hole, especially one made by or as if by a pin.
n
(in photography) a small hole in a camera through which light enters to form an image without the use of a lens.
Morpheme Breakdown
pin
hole
pin
hole
Etymology
the word pinhole is a transparent compound formed from two old english roots. 'pin' derives from the old english 'pinn', meaning a peg or a pointed piece of wood or metal, which itself has a probable latin origin in 'pinna' meaning 'point' or 'edge'. 'hole' comes from the old english 'hol', meaning a hollow place, cavity, or perforation, which is of germanic origin and related to the concept of concealment. the compound logically and literally describes a hole of the size and character made by a pin, a concept later adopted into the technical lexicon of optics and photography to describe a simple aperture.
Analysis
Structure: pin + hole
pin (old english, a thin piece of metal used for fastening or as a point); hole (old english, an opening or hollow place in a solid body)
Examples
light entered the dark room through a tiny pinhole in the curtain.
he built a simple pinhole camera for the photography project.
check the surface for any pinholes or imperfections in the paint.