Meanings
plural thumbtacks
- CanadaUSA small nail-like tack with a slightly rounded head that can be pressed into place with light pressure from the thumb; used for hanging light articles on a wall or noticeboard.
You say that I'm broke my nigga, how is that? Bitch I'm stickin to this paper like a thumbtack
2016 June 10, BlocBoy JB, “No Chorus, Pt. 5”, in Who Am I, 1:20–1:27Synonyms: drawing pin
present singular third person thumbtacks · participle present thumbtacking · participle past thumbtacked · past thumbtacked
- transitiveTo fix or attach something with a thumbtack.
On the particle-board partition that separated his cubicle from the next, Paul had thumbtacked things that might inspire him […]
1988, Edmund White, chapter 1, in The Beautiful Room is Empty, New York: Vintage International, published 1994
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA small nail-like tack with a slightly rounded head that can be pressed into place with light pressure from the thumb; used for hanging light articles on a wall or noticeboard.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna tack for attaching papers to a bulletin board or drawing board
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Arabic دَبُّوس
- دَبُّوس (dabbūs)nail-like tack
Bulgarian габърче, кабарче
- габърче (gabărče)nail-like tack
- кабарче (kabarče)nail-like tack
- кабар (kabar)nail-like tack
- кабър (kabăr)nail-like tack
- закачам (zakačam)to attach something with a thumbtack
- закача (zakača)to attach something with a thumbtack
- закрепям (zakrepjam)to attach something with a thumbtack
- закрепя (zakrepja)to attach something with a thumbtack
Catalan xinxeta
- xinxetanail-like tack
Chinese Mandarin 圖釘 /图钉, 用圖釘釘住 /用图钉钉住
- 圖釘 /图钉 (túdīng)nail-like tack
- 用圖釘釘住 /用图钉钉住 (yòng túdīng dìngzhù)to attach something with a thumbtack
Czech připínáček, napínáček
- připínáčeknail-like tack
- napínáčeknail-like tack
Danish tegnestift
- tegnestiftnail-like tack
Dutch duimspijker, punaise
- duimspijkernail-like tack
- punaisenail-like tack
Esperanto desegnonajlo, prempinglo
- desegnonajlonail-like tack
- prempinglonail-like tack
- alpinglito attach something with a thumbtack
Estonian rõhknael
- rõhknaelnail-like tack
Finnish nasta, kiinnittää nastalla
- nastanail-like tack
- kiinnittää nastallato attach something with a thumbtack
- nastatato attach something with a thumbtack
French punaise, punaiser
- punaisenail-like tack
- punaiserto attach something with a thumbtack
German Reißzwecke, Reißnagel
- Reißzweckenail-like tack
- Reißnagelnail-like tack
- Heftzweckenail-like tack
- Reißbrettstiftnail-like tack
- anpinnento attach something with a thumbtack
- anheftento attach something with a thumbtack
- anzweckento attach something with a thumbtack
- zweckento attach something with a thumbtack
Greek πινέζα
- πινέζα (pinéza)nail-like tack
Hungarian rajzszög
- rajzszögnail-like tack
Indonesian paku payung
- paku payungnail-like tack
Irish tacóid ordóige
- tacóid ordóigenail-like tack
Italian puntina
- puntinanail-like tack
Japanese 画鋲
- 画鋲 (gabyō)nail-like tack
Korean 압정
- 압정 (apjeong)nail-like tack
Malay paku jari
- paku jarinail-like tack
Norwegian Bokmål tegnestift
- tegnestiftnail-like tack
Persian پونِز
- پونِز (punez)nail-like tack
Polish pinezka
- pinezkanail-like tack
Portuguese tacha, tachar
- tachanail-like tack
- tacharto attach something with a thumbtack
Romanian piuneză
- piunezănail-like tack
Russian канцеля́рская кно́пка, кно́пка
- канцеля́рская кно́пка (kanceljárskaja knópka)nail-like tack
- кно́пка (knópka)nail-like tack
- прика́лывать (prikályvatʹ)to attach something with a thumbtack
- приколо́ть (prikolótʹ)to attach something with a thumbtack
Slovak pripináčik
- pripináčiknail-like tack
Spanish chinche, chincheta
- chinchenail-like tack
- chinchetanail-like tack
- tachuelanail-like tack
- estoperolnail-like tack
- tachonarto attach something with a thumbtack
Swedish häftstift
- häftstiftnail-like tack
Thai หมุดหัวแบน
- หมุดหัวแบนnail-like tack
Turkish raptiye, pünez
- raptiyenail-like tack
- püneznail-like tack
Ukrainian канцеля́рська кно́пка, кно́пка
- канцеля́рська кно́пка (kanceljársʹka knópka)nail-like tack
- кно́пка (knópka)nail-like tack
Cite this entry
thumbtack. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thumbtack
“thumbtack.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thumbtack. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “thumbtack,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thumbtack.
Source: thumbtack on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.