v. [UN-2 3, 4.]
1. trans. To withdraw the pin or bolt of (a door); to unbolt.
13[?]. Coer de L., 4212. On schal dwelle the clos withinne, The gate to unschette and unpynne, And stylly to unschette the lok.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XI. 108. Þe porter vnpynned þe ȝate. Ibid., XX. 328.
c. 1400. Beryn, 484. ‘Away, dogs, with evil deth,’ quod he, þat was within, And made hym al redy, the dorr to vnpyn.
a. 1547. Surrey, Æneid, II. 328. Sinon … Let fourth the Grekes enclosed in the womb, The closures eke of pine by stealth vnpind.
1596. Drayton, Legends, iv. 825. Peace, the good Porter, readie still at hand It doth unpin.
1753. Smollett, Ct. Fathom, xxix. The quaker … unpinned the other coach-door … and trundled himself into the mud.
1826. Scott, Woodst., xiii. Joan unpinned the door, to demand who was without.
absol. 1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVIII. 261. Prynces of þis place, vnpynneth & vnlouketh!
2. To remove pins or pegs from; to unfasten or detach in this way. Also fig.
1611. Cotgr., Declaveter, to vnboult, vnpinne, vnpeg; loose from.
1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Constancie, i. Whom neither force nor fawning can Unpinne, or wrench from giving all their due.
1673. R. Head, Canting Acad., 76. Unpinning a wheel [he] took it off.
a. 1699. J. Beaumont, Psyche, XVI. xvii. Unclasp my Joints; unlace my nerves; and try My finest tenderest membranes to unpin.
1701. Warwick, Mem. Reign Chas. I., 6. They have in a great measure unpinned the firmness of the government.
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 500. When the upper part of the frame … is unpinned and removed.
transf. 1674. Grew, Anat. Plants (1682), 228. [The atoms of] any fixed unodorable, or untastable Body … being not able to make any Smell or Taste, unless they were first dissolved; that is to say, unpin’d one from another.
3. To undo the dress of (a woman) by the removal of pins. Also absol.
1604. Shaks., Oth., IV. iii. 35. Æmilia. Shall I go fetch your Night-gowne? Desdemona. No, vn-pin me here.
c. 1680. Roxb. Ball. (1891), VII. 459. Prithee begin; don’t delay, but unpin.
1745. Fielding, Tom Jones, XIII. iii. Mrs. Etoff, who had the honour to pin and unpin the Lady Bellaston.
1815. Hist. J. Decastro, III. 331. Come and unpin me, O my dearest husband!
fig. 1641. Milton, Animadv., 9. The peremptory Analysis … will be so hardy as once more to unpinne your spruce fastidious oratory, to rumple her laces [etc.].
4. To remove a pin or pins from (an article of dress, etc.); to detach by removing or releasing a pin or pins. Also in fig. context.
1605. Erondelle, Fr. Gard., O 8 b. Go to, take of my cloathes vnpinne that, vntie this.
1630. I. Craven, God’s Tribunall, 33. A day … when all maskes shall be vnpinned, and all disguises taken off.
1662. Gurnall, Chr. in Arm., III. xxx. 256. Unpinne this story, take off that gaudy phrase, and nothing is left in the discourse.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 36, ¶ 3. She … began to unpin her hood.
1740. Richardson, Pamela, II. 21. He began to unpin my Handkerchief.
1769. Lady Mary Coke, Jrnl., 8 Feb. (1892), III. 19. My Maids had pin’d up the train of my Sack to my back, and had forgot to unpin it.
1849. C. Brontë, Shirley, xxv. Who gave you this little brooch? Let me unpin it and look at it.
1860. Emily Eden, Semi-attached Couple, vi. Sarah unpinned a gigantic bunch of camellias.
1887. Fenn, Master of Cerem., i. Unpinning a piece of paper that guarded the gay silks and wools.
b. intr. To become unpinned.
1716. Lady Montagu, Town Ecl., Tuesday, 74. Reaching the kettle made her gown unpin.
