Plural of hairpin; thin, U-shaped pins used to fasten and hold hair in place, or a very sharp turn like a hairpin curve.
From 'hair' + 'pin', a simple compound dating to the 1800s. Originally made of bone or tortoiseshell, later of metal, hairpins became essential fashion accessories during the Victorian era.
Victorian women used literally hundreds of hairpins every day to create their elaborate updos—losing even one pin could mean your whole hairstyle would slowly collapse throughout the day!
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