pinhead

Everyday

1. A pinhead is the tiny round top of a pin. tree →
2. Something "the size of a pinhead" is very, very small. tree →
3. (slang, rude) Calling someone a pinhead means you think they are stupid; it is an insult. tree →

In the lessons

In science and maths it is used for comparing sizes: a dot the size of a pinhead is about 1–2 millimetres. In stories it shows something is tiny (a pinhead of light far away). As an insult it is unkind and should not be used about people.

Examples

• The seed was no bigger than a pinhead. tree →
• Push the pin in until only the pinhead shows. tree →
• A tiny spider, the size of a pinhead, ran across the page. tree →
• Far away we saw a pinhead of light from the lighthouse. tree →
• Ladybird eggs are about the size of a pinhead. tree →
• (rude) "Watch where you're going, you pinhead!" he shouted. tree →
• Calling someone a pinhead is rude, so Mum told him to say sorry. tree →

Note

One word, no hyphen. Countable: a pinhead, pinheads. "The size of a pinhead" is a size comparison, not an exact measurement. The insult sense is rude.