a small, slender, rodlike instrument, usually of polished steel, with a sharp point at one end and an eye or hole for thread at the other, for passing thread through cloth to make stitches in sewing.
any of various similar, usually considerably larger, implements for making stitches, as one for use in knitting or one hooked at the end for use in crocheting.
Medicine/Medical.
a slender, pointed, steel instrument used in sewing or piercing tissues, as in suturing.
hypodermic needle.
Informal. an injection of a drug or medicine; shot.
any of various objects resembling or suggesting a needle.
the tapered stylus at the end of a phonographic tonearm, used to transmit vibrations from a record groove to a transducer for conversion to audible signals.
Electricity. magnetic needle.
a pointed instrument, or stylus, used in engraving, etching, or the like.
Botany. a needle-shaped leaf, as of a conifer: a pine needle.
Zoology. a slender sharp spicule.
Chemistry, Mineralogy. a needlelike crystal.
a sharp-pointed mass or pinnacle of rock.
an obelisk or a tapering, four-sided shaft of stone: Cleopatra's Needle.
Also called needle beam .Building Trades. a short beam passed through a wall as a temporary support.
verb (used with object),nee·dled,nee·dling.
to sew or pierce with or as if with a needle: to needle a patch on a sleeve.
Informal.
to prod or goad (someone) to a specified action: We needled her into going with us.
to tease: We needled him about his big ears.
Slang. to add alcohol or ether to (a beverage): to needle beer.
verb (used without object),nee·dled,nee·dling.
to form needles in crystallization.
to work with a needle.
Idioms for needle
on the needle, Slang. taking drugs by injection, especially habitually.
the needle, Informal. irritating abuse; teasing; heckling (used especially in the phrases give someone the needle and get the needle).
Origin of needle
before 900; 1880–85 for def. 16; Middle English nedle,Old English nǣdl, cognate with German Nadel; akin to Latin nēre to spin
You keep adding relevant, high-quality new content, but the needle barely moves.
How to teach an old blog new SEO tricks|Tom Pick|August 27, 2020|Search Engine Watch
We had a data operation that showed how we could do it, but it was really going to be threading the needle.
Full Transcript: Sean Spicer on ‘The Carlos Watson Show’|Daniel Malloy|August 26, 2020|Ozy
In college, I volunteered to have a needle jabbed into the fleshy part between my thumb and forefinger in the name of acupuncture.
We Need New, Safer Ways to Treat Pain. Could Electroacupuncture Be One?|Shelly Fan|August 18, 2020|Singularity Hub
It was a test of a new type of needle that his team has invented.
Silk-based microneedles may help treat diseased plants|Kathryn Hulick|June 18, 2020|Science News For Students
A microneedle pokes into the skin just a fraction as deeply as an ordinary needle.
Micro-barbs could make shots less painful|Stephen Ornes|May 13, 2020|Science News For Students
All of these may factor into the inability to move the needle on the scale.
‘The Biggest Loser’ Could Be TV’s Most Important Show Ever|Daniela Drake|September 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A sheet covered his body from the neck down, making it impossible to see where, exactly, the needle had been inserted.
Lifting the Curtain on Oklahoma's Botched Lethal Injection|Caitlin Dickson|August 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Lydia also gets her vitals checked, arm rubbed with alcohol, and glove-covered hands safely inserting the needle.
The I.V. Doc Comes to Your House, Fights Hangovers, and Wins|Abby Haglage|July 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Watching others thrust the needle into their arms night after night turned her on to the idea of trying it.
Hallucinating Away a Heroin Addiction|Abby Haglage|May 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Each died with the needle in his arm, apparently miscalculating a dose.
The Secret World of Drug-Addict Doctors|Kent Sepkowitz|April 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Patty looked on, and watched Mary's needle going in and out, making little red crooks.
Little Grandmother|Sophie May
And then she stopped in her work, and looked at me, with her needle drawn out to its thread's length.
David Copperfield|Charles Dickens
He was a capital seaman; a sort of an instinctive navigator; true as the needle to the flag, and as brave as a lion.
Afloat And Ashore|James Fenimore Cooper
To justify this she should have been engaged on some particular task of the needle, easiest performed when seated.
When Ghost Meets Ghost|William Frend De Morgan
Pass the needle underneath and connect one and two with two stitches.
The Library of Work and Play: Needlecraft|Effie Archer Archer
British Dictionary definitions for needle
needle
/ (ˈniːdəl) /
noun
a pointed slender piece of metal, usually steel, with a hole or eye in it through which thread is passed for sewing
a somewhat larger rod with a point at one or each end, used in knitting
a similar instrument with a hook at one end for crocheting
another name for stylus (def. 3)
a small thin pointed device, esp one made of stainless steel, used to transmit the vibrations from a gramophone record to the pick-up
med
the long hollow pointed part of a hypodermic syringe, which is inserted into the body
an informal name for hypodermic syringe
surgerya pointed steel instrument, often curved, for suturing, puncturing, or ligating
a long narrow stiff leaf, esp of a conifer, in which water loss is greatly reducedpine needles
any slender sharp spine, such as the spine of a sea urchin
any slender pointer for indicating the reading on the scale of a measuring instrument
short for magnetic needle
a crystal resembling a needle in shape
a sharp pointed metal instrument used in engraving and etching
anything long and pointed, such as an obeliska needle of light
a short horizontal beam passed through a wall and supported on vertical posts to take the load of the upper part of the wall
informal
anger or intense rivalry, esp in a sporting encounter
(as modifier)a needle match
get the needleorhave the needleBritishinformalto feel dislike, distaste, nervousness, or annoyance (for)she got the needle after he had refused her invitation
verb
(tr)informalto goad or provoke, as by constant criticism
(tr)to sew, embroider, or prick (fabric) with a needle
(tr)USto increase the alcoholic strength of (beer or other beverages)
(intr)(of a substance) to form needle-shaped crystals
Word Origin for needle
Old English nǣdl; related to Gothic nēthla, German Nadel
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.