kingpin

English

Etymology

king +‎ pin

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɪŋ.pɪn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

kingpin (plural kingpins)

1. (transport) The axis around which steered wheels pivot; a bolt that holds the axis in place—a kingbolt.
2. (transport) The pivot or connector between a tractor and trailer in the fifth-wheel coupling of semi-trailer truck.
3. (ten-pin bowling) The pin at the centre of the triangle of bowling pins (originally the tallest pin in kayles). Sometimes also the headpin at the apex.
4. The most important person in an undertaking or organization.
   • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Salarians: Culture Codex entry:

     The rare salarian females are cloistered on their worlds out of tradition and respect. Powerful female Dalatrasses are dynasts and political kingpins. They determine the political course of their respective regions through shrewd negotiation.

5. The bolt holding together the truck of a roller skate or skateboard.

Synonyms

• (most important person): big cheese, big enchilada, big tamale, big kahuna, bigwig, big wheel, grand poobah, head honcho, muckety muck, top banana, top dog, big noise, queenpin

Derived terms

• kingpin to rear axle

Descendants

• → Cebuano: kingpin

Translations

auto part

• Bulgarian: ос (bg) f (os)
• Danish: kongetap c (rail: between the freight car and the semi-trailer)
• Finnish: olkatappi
• German: Königszapfen m, Königsbolzen
• Russian: ось (ru) f (osʹ), вал (ru) m (val), шкво́рень (ru) m (škvórenʹ)
• Serbo-Croatian: osovina (sh)

most important person

• Finnish: napamies
• German: Hauptperson (de) f, wichtigster Mann m, Dreh- und Angelpunkt (de) m, entscheidende Figur f, Großkopferter (de) m, Bonze (de) m, , Nummer eins f
• Hungarian: fejes (hu), góré (hu), nagykutya (hu)
• Indonesian: gembong (id)
• Portuguese: manda-chuva (pt)
• Russian: центра́льная фигу́ра n (centrálʹnaja figúra), ва́жное лицо́ n (vážnoje licó)
• Spanish: jefazo, mandamás
• Swedish: stöttepelare (sv)

Anagrams

• pink gin, pinking

Cebuano

Etymology

Borrowed from English kingpin.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: king‧pin

Noun

kingpin

1. kingpin
   1. (transport) axis where which steered wheels pivot; bolt that holds the pivot in place
   2. most important person in an undertaking or organization

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from English kingpin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkiŋpin/, [ˈkim.pɪn]
• Hyphenation: king‧pin

Noun

kingpin (Baybayin spelling ᜃᜒᜅ᜔ᜉᜒᜈ᜔)

1. kingpin
   1. (transport) axis where which steered wheels pivot; bolt that holds the pivot in place
   2. most important person in an undertaking or organization

Further reading

• “kingpin”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018