Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Needle

Nee′dle

(nē′d’l)
,
Noun.
[OE.
nedle
, AS.
nǣdl
; akin to D.
neald
, OS.
nādla
, G.
nadel
, OHG.
nādal
,
nādala
, Icel.
nāl
, Sw.
nål
, Dan.
naal
, and also to G.
nähen
to sew, OHG.
nājan
, L.
nere
to spin, Gr.
νέειν
, and perh. to E.
snare
: cf. Gael. & Ir.
snathad
needle, Gael.
snath
thread, G.
schnur
string, cord.]
1.
A small instrument of steel, sharply pointed at one end, with an eye to receive a thread, – used in sewing.
Chaucer.
☞ In some needles (as for sewing machines) the eye is at the pointed end, but in ordinary needles it is at the blunt end.
2.
See
Magnetic needle
, under
Magnetic
.
3.
A slender rod or wire used in knitting; a knitting needle; also, a hooked instrument which carries the thread or twine, and by means of which knots or loops are formed in the process of netting, knitting, or crocheting.
4.
(Bot.)
One of the needle-shaped secondary leaves of pine trees. See
Pinus
.
5.
Any slender, pointed object, like a needle, as a pointed crystal, a sharp pinnacle of rock, an obelisk, etc.
Dipping needle
.
See under
Dipping
.
Needle bar
,
the reciprocating bar to which the needle of a sewing machine is attached.
Needle beam
(Arch.)
,
in shoring, the horizontal cross timber which goes through the wall or a pier, and upon which the weight of the wall rests, when a building is shored up to allow of alterations in the lower part.
Needle furze
(Bot.)
,
a prickly leguminous plant of Western Europe; the petty whin (
Genista Anglica
).
Needle gun
,
a firearm loaded at the breech with a cartridge carrying its own fulminate, which is exploded by driving a slender needle, or pin, into it.
[archaic]
Needle loom
(Weaving)
,
a loom in which the weft thread is carried through the shed by a long eye-pointed needle instead of by a shuttle.
Needle ore
(Min.)
,
acicular bismuth; a sulphide of bismuth, lead, and copper occuring in acicular crystals; – called also
aikinite
.
Needle shell
(Zool.)
,
a sea urchin.
Needle spar
(Min.)
,
aragonite.
Needle telegraph
,
a telegraph in which the signals are given by the deflections of a magnetic needle to the right or to the left of a certain position.
Sea needle
(Zool.)
,
the garfish.

Nee′dle

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To form in the shape of a needle;
as, to
needle
crystals
.

Nee′dle

,
Verb.
I.
To form needles; to crystallize in the form of needles.

Webster 1828 Edition


Needle

NEEDLE

,
Noun.
[G. something sharp or pointed. It may be allied to nettle.]
1.
A small instrument of steel pointed at one end, with an eye at the other to receive a thread; used in sewing and embroidery. Needles are also used by surgeons in sewing up wounds.
2.
A small pointed piece of steel used in the mariners compass, which by its magnetic quality is attracted and directed to the pole, and thus enables navigators to steer their ships the course intended.
3.
Any crystalized substance in the form of a needle.
Dipping needle, a magnetic needle that dips or inclines downwards.

NEEDLE

,
Verb.
T.
To form crystals in the shape of a needle.

NEEDLE

,
Verb.
I.
To shoot in crystalization into the form of needles; as needled prisms.

Definition 2024


needle

needle

English


An assortment of sewing needles
a hypodermic needle and syringe
needles (botany)

Noun

needle (plural needles)

  1. A long, thin, sharp implement usually for piercing such as sewing, or knitting, acupuncture, tattooing, body piercing, medical injections etc.
    The seamstress threaded the needle to sew on a button.
  2. Any slender, pointed object resembling a needle, such as a pointed crystal, a sharp pinnacle of rock, an obelisk, etc.
  3. A long, thin device for indicating measurements on a dial or graph, e.g. a compass needle.
    The needle on the fuel gauge pointed to empty.
  4. A sensor for playing phonograph records, a phonograph stylus.
    Ziggy bought some diamond needles for his hi-fi phonograph.
  5. A long, pointed leaf found on some conifers.
    • 1994, Stephen Fry, The Hippopotamus, ch. 2:
      At the very moment he cried out, David realised that what he had run into was only the Christmas tree. Disgusted with himself at such cowardice, he spat a needle from his mouth.
  6. (informal, usually preceded by the) The death penalty carried out by lethal injection.
  7. (programming, PHP) A text string that is searched for within another string.
    • 2010, Peter MacIntyre, PHP: The Good Parts (page 39)
      Both of these functions will look through the haystack for the specified needle and, if they find it, will return the portion of the string from the beginning of the needle to the end of the haystack.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Verb

needle (third-person singular simple present needles, present participle needling, simple past and past participle needled)

  1. To pierce with a needle, especially for sewing or acupuncture.
    • 1892, H. Lindo Ferguson, "Operation on Microphthamlmic Eyes", Ophthalmic Review, volume 11, page 48
      [] the eyes were once more beginning to show the old nystagmus; so I decided to needle the cataracts, and on Jan. 31 I needled the right eye.
    • 2000, Felix Mann, Reinventing Acupuncture, page 109
      Possibly the greatest effect is achieved in the hand by needling the thumb, the index finger and the region of the 1st and 2nd metacarpal.
  2. (transitive) To tease in order to provoke; to poke fun at.
    Billy needled his sister incessantly about her pimples.
    • 1984, Leopold Caligor, Philip M. Bromberg, & James D. Meltzer, Clinical Perspectives on the Supervision of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, page 14
      FRED: Well, I teased her to some extent, or I needled her, not teased her. I needled her about—first I said that she didn't want to work, and then I think that there were a couple of comments.
  3. (transitive) To form in the shape of a needle.
    to needle crystals

Synonyms

Translations

Anagrams