Japanese

Noun

ピン ‎(romaji pin)

1. An ace in cards or a "one" in dice.
2. The first or top item.
3. (idiomatic, from the way that servants would sometimes inflate prices by one-tenth and pocket the difference): The cut or percentage taken from something, the rake-off.

Synonyms

• (cut, percentage): ピンはね ‎(pinhane)

Idioms

• ピンからキリまで ‎(pin kara kiri made): from start to finish
• ピンを撥 (は)ねる ‎(pin o haneru), ピンを行 (ゆ)く ‎(pin o yuku): to skim or take a cut from an amount of money

Etymology 2

From English pin, from Middle English point, from Old French point ‎(“a point, dot, full stop, period, speck, hole, stitch, point of time, moment, difficulty”), from Latin punctum ‎(“a point”), substantive use of punctus, perfect passive participle of pungō ‎(“I prick, punch”).

Noun

ピン ‎(romaji pin)

1. A pin, such as a hairpin, tie pin, bowling pin, or golf pin.