Etymology : Middle English nedle, from Old English n[AE]dl; akin to Old High German nAdala needle, nAjan to sew, Latin nEre to spin, Greek nEn
Pronunciation : nE-d
&l
Function : noun
Date : before 12th century
1. slender pointed tools (usually of metal, often with a hole a one end) used with thread (or string) for sewing or other handcrafts; implement used in sewing or embroidering; sharp implement for suturing or other hypodermic procedures, syringe (Medicine); any needle-like object. sew, stitch; prick; be sarcastic; tease. ask bothersome questions, a hassle She needled him with questions about his former girlfriends. needle\nee"dle\ , n. [oe. nedle, as. n dl; akin to d. neald, os. nādla, g. nadel, ohg. nādal, nādala, icel. nāl, sw. n?l, dan. naal, and also to g. n?hen to sew, ohg. nājan, l. nere to spin, gr. , and perh. to e. snare: cf. gael. & ir. snathad needle, gael. snath thread, g. schnur string, cord.].
2. a small instrument of steel, sharply pointed at one end, with an eye to receive a thread, -- used in sewing.note: in some needles(as for sewing machines) the eye is at the pointed end, but in ordinary needles it is at the blunt end.
3. see:
magnetic needle, under magnetic.
4. 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. (bot.) one of the needle-shaped secondary leaves of pine trees. see:
pinus.
6. any slender, pointed object, like a needle, as a pointed crystal, a sharp pinnacle of rock, an obelisk, etc.
7. A small instrument of steel, sharply pointed at one end, with an eye to receive a thread, used in sewing.
8. See Magnetic needle, under Magnetic.
9. 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.
10. One of the needle-shaped secondary leaves of pine trees.
11. See Pinus.
12. Any slender, pointed object, like a needle, as a pointed crystal, a sharp pinnacle of rock, an obelisk, etc.
13. To form in the shape of a needle; as, to needle crystals.
14. To form needles; to crystallize in the form of needles. a sharp pointed implement a slender pointer for indicating the reading on the scale of a measuring instrument goad or provoke,as by constant criticism; "He needled her with his sarcastic remarks" prick with a needle.
15. 1. A needle is a small, very thin piece of polished metal which is used for sewing. It has a sharp point at one end and a hole in the other for a thread to go through.
16. Knitting needles are thin sticks that are used for knitting. They are usually made of plastic or metal and have a point at one end.
17. A needle is a thin hollow metal rod with a sharp point, which is part of a medical instrument called a syringe. It is used to put a drug into someone's body, or to take blood out.
18. A needle is a thin metal rod with a point which is put into a patient's body during acupuncture.
19. On an instrument which measures something such as speed or weight, the needle is the long strip of metal or plastic on the dial that moves backwards and forwards, showing the measurement. She kept looking at the dial on the boiler. The needle had reached 250 degrees.
20. The needles of a fir or pine tree are its thin, hard, pointed leaves. The carpet of pine needles was soft underfoot.
21. If someone needles you, they annoy you continually, especially by criticizing you. Blake could see:
he had needled Jerrold, which might be unwise.
22. like looking for a needle in a haystack: see:
haystack see also pins and needles. to deliberately annoy someone by making unkind remarks or jokes about them = rib, tease tease. Basic implement used in sewing or embroidering and, in variant forms, for knitting and crocheting. The sewing needle is small, slender, and rodlike. One end is sharply pointed to make passing it through fabric easy; the other end has a slot (called an eye) to carry a thread. Modern sewing needles are made of steel. Crocheting needles are eyeless and have a hook on one end; they are usually of steel or plastic. Knitting needles are long, made of various materials, and bluntly pointed at one or both ends, sometimes with a knob at the end opposite the point.