needle

English Online Dictionary. What means needle‎? What does needle mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English nedle, from Old English nǣdl, from Proto-West Germanic *nāþlu, from Proto-Germanic *nēþlō, from pre-Germanic *neh₁-tleh₂, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)neh₁- (“to spin, twist”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈniː.dəl/
• Rhymes: -iːdəl

Noun

needle (plural needles)

1. A long, thin, sharp implement usually for piercing as in sewing, embroidery, acupuncture, tattooing, body piercing, medical injections, sutures, etc; or a blunt but otherwise similar implement used for forming loops or knots in crafts such as darning, knitting, tatting, etc.

2. Any slender, pointed object resembling a needle, such as a pointed crystal, a sharp pinnacle of rock, an obelisk, etc.
3. A fine measurement indicator on a dial or graph.
4. (informal) A sensor for playing phonograph records, a phonograph stylus.

5. A needle-like leaf found on some conifers.
6. A strong beam resting on props, used as a temporary support during building repairs.
7. (informal, usually preceded by the) The death penalty carried out by lethal injection.
8. (programming) A text string that is searched for within another string. (see: needle in a haystack)
9. (entomology) Any of various species of damselfly of the genus Synlestes, endemic to Australia.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• acerate
• acicular
• eye
• pin

Further reading

• needle on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

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.
2. (transitive) To tease in order to provoke; to poke fun at.

   Synonyms: goad, tease
3. (transitive, intransitive) To form, or be formed, in the shape of a needle.

Translations

Anagrams

• Edelen, ledene, lendee