| bodkin | 1. A dagger. "When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin." (Shak) 2. An implement of steel, bone, ivory, etc, with a sharp point, for making holes by piercing; a tiletto; an eyeleteer. 3. A sharp tool, like an awl, used for picking ut letters from a column or page in making corrections. 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) 5. A kind of pin used by women to fasten the hair. To sit, ride, or travel bodkin, to sit closely wedged between two persons. Origin: OE. Boydekyn dagger; of uncertain origin; cf. W. Bidog hanger, short sword, Ir. Bideog, Gael. Biodag. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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