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pin2 past tense and past participle pinned, present participle pinning [transitive always + adverb/preposition]
1 to fasten something somewhere, or to join two things together, using a pin
pin something to/on something 
Can you pin this to the notice board?He pinned the name tag on his jacket.
Can you pin this to the notice board?He pinned the name tag on his jacket.2 to make someone unable to move by putting a lot of pressure or weight on them
pin somebody/something ↔ down
phrasal verb1 to make someone give clear details or make a definite decision about something He's impossible to pin down.
He's impossible to pin down.2 to understand something clearly or be able to describe it exactly
3 if soldiers etc involved in fighting are pinned down, they cannot move from their position because someone is shooting at them : The rebels have been pinned down in a camp to the south of the river.
The rebels have been pinned down in a camp to the south of the river.pin something on somebody/something
phrasal verb1 to blame someone for something, often unfairly : They're trying to pin the murder on the boyfriend.
They're trying to pin the murder on the boyfriend.2 to hope that something will happen or someone will help you, because all your plans depend on this : Chris is pinning his hopes on getting into Yale.
pin your hopes/faith on something/somebody
Chris is pinning his hopes on getting into Yale.
