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needle

noun
/ˈniː.dəl/

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)neh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-trom Proto-Indo-European *-tlom Proto-Indo-European *(s)néh₁tlom Proto-Germanic *nēþlą Proto-Germanic *-ō Proto-Germanic *nēþlō Proto-West Germanic *nāþlu Old English nǣdl Middle English nedle English needle 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”). Cognates Cognate with Saterland Frisian Näddele (“sewing needle”), Dutch naald (“needle”), German Nadel (“needle, pin, crochet hook”), nähen (“sew”), Luxembourgish Nol (“needle”), Vilamovian nöłd (“needle”), Yiddish נאָדל (nodl, “needle, pin”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Swedish nål (“needle”), Elfdalian ną̊l (“needle”), Faroese, Icelandic nál (“needle”), Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐌸𐌻𐌰 (nēþla, “sewing needle”), Finnish neula (“needle”). Further related with Welsh nyddu, Latin nēre, Sanskrit स्नायति (snāyati, “wraps up, winds”). Related to snood.

  1. derived from *(s)neh₁-✻ — “to spin, twist”
  2. inherited from *nēþlō✻
  3. inherited from *nāþlu✻
  4. inherited from nǣdl
  5. inherited from nedle

Definitions

  1. A long, thin, sharp implement usually for piercing as in sewing, embroidery, acupuncture,…

    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.

    • The seamstress threaded the needle to sew on a button.
    • reusable needles
    • single-use needles

  2. Any slender, pointed object resembling a needle, such as a pointed crystal, a sharp…

    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.

    • a compass needle
    • The needle on the fuel gauge pointed to empty.
  4. ›+ 11 more definitions

    1. A sensor for playing phonograph records, a phonograph stylus.

      • Ziggy bought some diamond needles for his hi-fi phonograph.

    2. A needle-like leaf found on some conifers.

      • 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.

    3. A strong beam resting on props, used as a temporary support during building repairs.

    4. The death penalty carried out by lethal injection.

    5. A text string that is searched for within another string. (see

      A text string that is searched for within another string. (see: needle in a haystack)

      • 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.

    6. Any of various species of damselfly of the genus Synlestes, endemic to Australia.

    7. A move in which the performer begins with two hands and one leg on the floor, then kicks…

      A move in which the performer begins with two hands and one leg on the floor, then kicks the other leg into a full split.

    8. To pierce with a needle, especially for sewing or acupuncture.

      • […]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.
      • 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.

    9. To tease in order to provoke

      To tease in order to provoke; to poke fun at.

      • Billy needled his sister incessantly about her pimples.
      • 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.
      • To needle Lady Leviathan, Hel has convinced her husband to agree to the heartful offer.

    10. To form, or be formed, in the shape of a needle.

      • to needle crystals

    11. A surname.

The neighborhood

Derived

Adam's needle, bioneedle, budge the needle, Buffon's needle problem, butterfly needle, camel through the eye of a needle, cop the needle, cryoneedle, devil's darning needle, devil's needle, dip of the needle, Eve's needle, fine-needle aspiration, knight of the needle, larding-needle, microneedle, move the needle, multineedle, nanoneedle, needle-and-thread grass, needle aspiration biopsy, needle bar, needle beam, needle bearing, needle beer, needlebook, needle bush, needlebush, needlecase, needle-clawed bushbaby, needlecord, needlecraft, needle dick, needledom, needle drop, needle exchange, needlefelt, needlefish, needleful, needle furze · +79 more

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at needle. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01needle02crafts03craft04power05strength06intensity07flows08flow09fluid10intravenous

A definitional loop anchored at needle. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

10 hops · closes at needle

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA