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.
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
crystalsNee′dle
,Verb.
I.
To form needles; to crystallize in the form of needles.
Webster 1828 Edition
Needle
NEEDLE
,Noun.
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.
NEEDLE
,Verb.
I.
Definition 2024
needle
needle
English
An assortment of sewing needles
a hypodermic needle and syringe
needles (botany)
Noun
needle (plural needles)
- 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.
- Any slender, pointed object resembling a needle, such as a pointed crystal, a sharp pinnacle of rock, an obelisk, etc.
- 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.
- A sensor for playing phonograph records, a phonograph stylus.
- Ziggy bought some diamond needles for his hi-fi phonograph.
- 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.
- 1994, Stephen Fry, The Hippopotamus, ch. 2:
- (informal, usually preceded by the) The death penalty carried out by lethal injection.
- (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.
- 2010, Peter MacIntyre, PHP: The Good Parts (page 39)
Derived terms
terms derived from needle (noun)
Translations
implement for sewing etc.
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indicating device
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sensor phonograph stylus
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leaf of conifer
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See also
Verb
needle (third-person singular simple present needles, present participle needling, simple past and past participle needled)
- 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.
- 1892, H. Lindo Ferguson, "Operation on Microphthamlmic Eyes", Ophthalmic Review, volume 11, page 48
- (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.
- (transitive) To form in the shape of a needle.
- to needle crystals
Synonyms
Translations
to pierce with a needle
to tease in order to provoke