angels dancing on the head of a pin

noun

The subject of arcane intellectual speculation—used as an example of a subject of enquiry in which the pursuit is of no value.

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Meanings

nounangels dancing on the head of a pin pl (plural only)
  1. figurativelypluralplural onlyThe subject of arcane intellectual speculation—used as an example of a subject of enquiry in which the pursuit is of no value.

    We are not talking about angels dancing on the head of a pin here.

    1965, United States Congress House Government Operations, Procurement of a Cryogenic Cooling System for Fighter Aircraft: Hearing, 89-1, June 8–9, 1965, page 47
    2 more examples

    …logically indistinguishable from the argument that because we do not know at what rate the angels dancing on the head of a pin are dying off…

    1995, Julian Lincoln Simon, The State of Humanity, page 358

    The issues Dr. Wolfensberger wrestles with and writes about are not intellectual discussions of angels dancing on the head of a pin.

    2001, William C. Gaventa, David L. Coulter, The Theological Voice of Wolf Wolfensberger, page 6

Origin

An allusion to the theological question, How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?—a question cited to debunk mediaeval angelology in particular, and scholasticism in general. The point is that explorative discussions that the discussants consider important can be academic in both senses of that word—not only arcane, but also irrelevant.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish neulan kärjellä tanssivat enkelit
  • neulan kärjellä tanssivat enkelitarcane intellectual speculation
French sexe des anges, le sexe des anges
  • sexe des angesarcane intellectual speculation
  • le sexe des angesarcane intellectual speculation
  • querelle byzantinearcane intellectual speculation
Italian il sesso degli angeli
  • il sesso degli angeliarcane intellectual speculation
Polish strata czasu
  • strata czasuarcane intellectual speculation
Portuguese sexo dos anjos, o sexo dos anjos
  • sexo dos anjosarcane intellectual speculation
  • o sexo dos anjosarcane intellectual speculation
Spanish el sexo de los ángeles
  • el sexo de los ángelesarcane intellectual speculation
Cite this entry
APA

angels dancing on the head of a pin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/angels%20dancing%20on%20the%20head%20of%20a%20pin

MLA

“angels dancing on the head of a pin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/angels%20dancing%20on%20the%20head%20of%20a%20pin. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “angels dancing on the head of a pin,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/angels%20dancing%20on%20the%20head%20of%20a%20pin.

Source: angels dancing on the head of a pin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.