Meanings
present singular third person pins the meter · participle present pinning the meter · participle past pinned the meter · past pinned the meter
- CB radioTo cause a meter to register its highest possible value.
If signals tend to pin the meter, the sensitivity can be reduced by adjustment of R1.
1958, The Radio Amateur's Handbook, number 35, page 4901 more example
It is not possible to do this using an ohmmeter because the current flowing will pin the meter and may cause damage to the movement or even burn out the coil.
1977, Amateur Radio, volume 33, page 59
Origin
In reference to the measuring needle looking as though it is pinned in place.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
pin the meter. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pin%20the%20meter
“pin the meter.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pin%20the%20meter. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pin the meter,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pin%20the%20meter.
Source: pin the meter on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.