needle

nee·dle

Use needle in a sentence

A sewing needle tucked into a spool of thread.

noun

Needle is defined as a thin and sharp piece of metal used in sewing, used to give injections, and used in a variety of other situations where a thin and sharp piece of metal is pointed on one end.
1. A thin, sharp piece of metal with an eye on the end that thread goes through and that is used for sewing is an example of a needle.
2. A thin, sharp piece of metal attached to a syringe and used to give an injection is an example of a needle.
3. A thin, sharp piece of metal used in knitting is an example of a needle.
4. A thin, metal pointer on a compass is an example of a needle.

verb

The definition of needle is to annoy someone by nagging or criticizing, or to pierce something as if pricked by a long thin piece of metal.
1. If you constantly nag and bother your friend, this is an example of when you needle your friend.
2. If a little speck of dirt feels like it is cutting your eye, this is an example of when it needles your eye.

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"needle." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 May 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Needle>.

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needle. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Needle

needle

1. a small, slender piece of steel with a sharp point at one end and a hole for thread at the other, used for sewing by hand or for surgical sutures
2. a similar implement with a hole for thread near the pointed end, used esp. on sewing machines
1. a slender rod of steel, bone, wood, etc. with a hook at one end, used for crocheting
2. a slender, pointed rod of wood, metal, plastic, etc., used in pairs for knitting
stylus (noun)
a pointed instrument used in etching or engraving
1. the magnetized pointer of a compass
2. the indicator or pointer of a speedometer or other gauge
the thin, short, pointed leaf of such trees as the pine, spruce, etc.
needle valve
1. the sharp, very slender metal tube at the end of a hypodermic syringe, that is introduced into the blood vessel, muscle, etc.
2. Informal a hypodermic injection
3. any of various other slender, tubelike devices for inserting, as to inflate or inject
electric needle
any object roughly resembling a needle or its point in shape, as the sharp point of some crystals, a narrow, pointed rock, an obelisk, spire, etc.

Origin of needle

Middle English nedle from Old English nædl, akin to German nadel from Indo-European base an unverified form (s)n?-, an unverified form (s)n?i-, to sew, spin from source snood, Classical Latin nere, Classical Greek nein, to spin

transitive verb

-·dled, -·dling

to sew, puncture, etc. with a needle
Informal
1. to provoke into doing something; goad; prod
2. to tease or heckle
Slang to strengthen by adding alcohol: to needle beer

to work with a needle; sew
to form needles in crystallization

needle Idioms

give someone the needle

Slang to goad or heckle

on the needle

Slang addicted to narcotics

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"needle." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 May 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Needle>.

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needle. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Needle

needle

noun

a. A slender, pointed implement used for sewing or surgical suturing, made usually of polished steel and having an eye at one end through which a length of thread is passed and held.
b. Any of various similar implements, such as a fine sharp-pointed instrument used in acupuncture or a pointed shaft used in knitting, crocheting, or lace making.
c. A sharp-pointed instrument used in engraving.
A slender piece of jewel or steel used to transmit vibrations from the grooves of a phonograph record.
a. A slender pointer or indicator on a dial, scale, or similar part of a mechanical device.
b. A magnetic needle.
a. A hypodermic needle.
b. Informal A hypodermic injection; a shot.
Chiefly Upper Northern US See dragonfly.
A narrow stiff leaf, as of a pine or fir.
A fine, sharp projection, as a spine of a sea urchin or a crystal.
a. A tall narrow rock formation.
b. An obelisk.
Informal A goading, provoking, or teasing remark or act.

verb

nee·dled, nee·dling, nee·dles

verb

transitive

To prick, pierce, or stitch with a needle.
Informal To goad, provoke, or tease.

verb

intransitive

To sew or do similar work with a needle.

Origin of needle

Middle English nedle from Old English nǣdl ; see (s)nē- in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

nee′dler
noun

needle

left to right: sailmaking, sewing machine, and tapestry needles

bottom right: spring needle

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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"needle." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 May 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Needle>.

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needle. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Needle

A narrow, stiff leaf, as of firs, pines, and other conifers. The reduced surface area of needles minimizes water loss and allows needle-bearing plants to live in dry climates.
See more at leaf
See hypodermic needle

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"needle." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 May 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Needle>.

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needle. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Needle

Noun

(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.
(informal, usually preceded by the) The death penalty carried out by lethal injection.

Verb

(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.
To tease in order to provoke; to poke fun at.
Billy needled his sister incessantly about her pimples.
To form in the shape of a needle.
to needle crystals

Origin

From Middle English nedle, from Old English nÃ¦dl, from Proto-Germanic *nÄ“Ã¾lÅ, from pre-Germanic , from Proto-Indo-European *(s)nÃ©hâ‚- "˜to spin, twist' (compare Dutch naaien, Welsh nyddu, Latin nÄ“re, Sanskrit snÄyati "˜wraps up, winds'). Related to snood.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

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MLA Style

"needle." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 May 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Needle>.

APA Style

needle. (n.d.). Retrieved May 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Needle

needle - Medical Definition

n.

A slender, usually sharp-pointed instrument used for puncturing tissues, suturing, or passing a ligature around an artery.
A hollow, slender, sharp-pointed instrument used for injection or aspiration.

v.

To separate tissues by means of one or two needles in the dissection of small parts.