pincushion
/ˈpɪnkʊʃ(ə)n
/noun
1A small pad for holding pins.Vibrantly colored beadwork spilled across the fabric of souvenir pincushions, picture frames and wallpockets designed to appeal to throngs of eager tourists....
- These remarkably beautiful beaded pieces are presented alongside an astonishing array of objects created expressly for the Victorian tourist market, including pincushions, photo frames, decorative boxes and wall pieces.
- Ray showed his young viewers how to make everything from pup pencil holders, to mushroom pincushions, to stocking mice.
2 (also pincushion distortion) [mass noun] A form of optical distortion in which straight lines along the edge of a screen or a lens bulge towards the centre.Examining the camera we noted no astigmatism, curvature of field, rolling distortion, or pincushion distortion....
- Focusing the scopes on the distant brick wall with its very distinct vertical and horizontal lines, we checked for pincushion distortion (lines bowing in) and barrel distortion (lines bowing out).
- However I did note a small amount of pincushion distortion.
3 (also pincushion protea) South African An African shrub or tree related to the proteas, with rounded flower heads that resemble pincushions.
- Genus Leucospermum, family Proteaceae.
- The salvia has receded, but the radicchio is still coming up, and I have phlox and pincushions, and there's an evergreen and some holly there in the back.
- They do also feed from pincushion proteas, but do not damage the flowers significantly because the bracts are too narrow to be pierced or scratched by the birds' claws.