needle, n. [OE. nedle, AS. n; akin to D. neald, OS. nādla, G. nadel, OHG. nādal, nādala, Icel. nāl, Sw. nål, Dan. naal, and also to G. nähen to sew, OHG. nājan, L. nere to spin, Gr. ne`ein, and perh. to E. snare: cf. Gael. & Ir. snathad needle, Gael. snath thread, G. schnur string, cord.].

A small instrument of steel, sharply pointed at one end, with an eye to receive a thread, -- used in sewing. Chaucer. [1913 Webster]
" In some needles (as for sewing machines) the eye is at the pointed end, but in ordinary needles it is at the blunt end." [1913 Webster]

See Magnetic needle, under Magnetic. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

One of the needle-shaped secondary leaves of pine trees. See Pinus. [1913 Webster]

Any slender, pointed object, like a needle, as a pointed crystal, a sharp pinnacle of rock, an obelisk, etc. [1913 Webster]

A hypodermic needle; a syringe fitted with a hypodermic needle, used for injecting fluids into the body. [PJC]

An injection of medicine from a hypodermic needle; a shot. [PJC]

Dipping needle. See under Dipping. -- Needle bar, the reciprocating bar to which the needle of a sewing machine is attached. -- Needle beam (Arch.), in shoring, the horizontal cross timber which goes through the wall or a pier, and upon which the weight of the wall rests, when a building is shored up to allow of alterations in the lower part. -- Needle furze (Bot.), a prickly leguminous plant of Western Europe; the petty whin (Genista Anglica). -- Needle gun, a firearm loaded at the breech with a cartridge carrying its own fulminate, which is exploded by driving a slender needle, or pin, into it. [archaic] -- Needle loom (Weaving), a loom in which the weft thread is carried through the shed by a long eye-pointed needle instead of by a shuttle. -- Needle ore (Min.), acicular bismuth; a sulphide of bismuth, lead, and copper occuring in acicular crystals; -- called also aikinite. -- Needle shell (Zoöl.), a sea urchin. -- Needle spar (Min.), aragonite. -- Needle telegraph, a telegraph in which the signals are given by the deflections of a magnetic needle to the right or to the left of a certain position. -- Sea needle (Zoöl.), the garfish.

needle, v. t.

To form in the shape of a needle; as, to needle crystals. [1913 Webster]

To tease (a person), especially repeatedly. [PJC]

To prod or goad (someone) into action by teasing or daring. [PJC]

needle, v. i.

To form needles; to crystallize in the form of needles. [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

needle, n. & v.
--n.
1 a a very thin small piece of smooth steel etc. pointed at one end and with a slit (eye) for thread at the other, used in sewing. b a larger plastic, wooden, etc. slender stick without an eye, used in knitting. c a slender hooked stick used in crochet.
2 a pointer on a dial (see magnetic needle).
3 any of several small thin pointed instruments, esp.: a a surgical instrument for stitching. b the end of a hypodermic syringe. c = STYLUS. d an etching tool. e a steel pin exploding the cartridge of a breech-loading gun.
4 a an obelisk (Cleopatra's Needle). b a pointed rock or peak.
5 the leaf of a fir or pine tree.
6 a beam used as a temporary support during underpinning.
7 Brit. sl. a fit of bad temper or nervousness (got the needle while waiting).
--v.tr.
1 colloq. incite or irritate; provoke (the silence needled him).
2 sew, pierce, or operate on with a needle.

Idiom

needle game (or match etc.) Brit. a contest that is very close or arouses personal grudges. needle in a haystack something almost impossible to find because it is concealed by so many other things etc. needle-lace lace made with needles not bobbins. needle-point
1 a very sharp point.
2 = needle-lace.
3 = GROS or petit point. needle's eye (or eye of a needle) the least possible aperture, esp. with ref. to Matt. 19:24. needle time an agreed maximum allowance of time for broadcasting music from records. needle valve a valve closed by a thin tapering part.

Etymology

OE n{aelig}dl f. Gmc

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THESAURUS

needle
Gramophone, Gyrosin compass, PA, PA system, RDF, Victrola, aculeus, acumination, aggravate, annoy, arrow, audio sound system, audiophile, auger, badger, bait, banter, be at, bedevil, beset, between, binaural system, bit, bitch box, bite, blade, blaze, blunt, bore, borer, bother, bract, bracteole, bractlet, bramble, brier, bristle, broach, brown off, bug, bullhorn, bullyrag, burin, burn up, burr, cactus, cartridge, catchweed, ceramic pickup, chaff, changer, chivy, cleavers, compass, compass needle, cotyledon, countersink, crystal pickup, cusp, derived four-channel system, devil, die, direction, direction finder, direction post, discompose, discrete four-channel system, distemper, disturb, dog, drill, dun, empierce, engraving tool, etching ball, etching ground, etching needle, etching point, exasperate, exercise, fash, finger post, fist, fix, flag, flog, floral leaf, foliole, four-channel stereo system, frond, get, glume, gnaw, goad, goose grass, gore, gouge, gouge out, graver, gripe, guide, guideboard, guidepost, gyrocompass, gyroscopic compass, gyrostatic compass, hand, harass, harry, haze, heckle, hector, hi-fi, hi-fi fan, high-fidelity, hole, honeycomb, hound, hour hand, impale, index, index finger, inertial navigation system, intaglio, intercom, intercommunication system, involucre, involucrum, irk, jape, jest, jive, joke, jolly, josh, jukebox, kid, knitting wire, lamina, lance, lash, lead, leaf, leaflet, lemma, ligule, long-eyed sharp, loran, lubber line, magnetic compass, magnetic needle, magnetic pickup, miff, milepost, minute hand, molest, monaural system, mono, mucro, nag, neb, nettle, nib, nickelodeon, nudge, nudzh, peeve, penetrate, perforate, persecute, pester, petal, phonograph, photoelectric pickup, pick on, pickup, pierce, pile, pine needle, pink, pique, plague, pluck the beard, point, pointer, poke, pother, prick, prickle, prod, provoke, public-address system, punch, puncture, put on, quadraphonic sound system, quill, radio compass, radio direction finder, radio-phonograph combination, rag, rally, razz, ream, ream out, record changer, record player, rib, riddle, ride, rile, roast, rocker, roil, ruffle, run through, scorper, seal, seed leaf, sepal, sew, sew up, sharp, shoran, signboard, signpost, skewer, sound reproduction system, sound truck, spathe, spear, spicule, spiculum, spike, spikelet, spine, spire, spit, spur, squawk box, stab, stamp, stereo, stick, sticker, sting, stipula, stipule, stitch, straw, style, stylus, system, tailor, tap, tape deck, tape recorder, tease, thistle, thorn, tip, tone arm, torment, transcription turntable, transfix, transpierce, trepan, trephine, try the patience, turntable, tweak the nose, twit, vex, whip, worry, yucca

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ROGET THESAURUS

needle

Direction
N direction, management, managery, government, gubernation, conduct, legislation, regulation, guidance, bossism, legislature, steerage, pilotage, reins, reins of government, helm, rudder, needle, compass, guiding star, load star, lode star, pole star, cynosure, supervision, superintendence, surveillance, oversight, eye of the master, control, charge, board of control, command, premiership, senatorship, director, chair, portfolio, statesmanship, statecraft, kingcraft, queencraft, ministry, ministration, administration, stewardship, proctorship, agency, director, directing, hegemonic, at the helm, at the head of, direction, bearing, course, vector, set, drift, tenor, tendency, incidence, bending, trending, dip, tack, aim, collimation, steering steerage, point of the compass, cardinal points, North East, South, West, N by E, ENE, NE by N, NE, rhumb, azimuth, line of collimation, line, path, road, range, quarter, line of march, alignment, allignment, air line, beeline, straight shoot, directed, directed towards, pointing towards, bound for, aligned, with alligned with, direct, straight, undeviating, unswerving, straightforward, North, Northern, Northerly, towards, on the road, on the high road to, en avant, versus, to, hither, thither, whither, directly, straight as an arrow, forwards as an arrow, point blank, in a bee line to, in a direct line to, as the crow flies, in a straight line to, in a bee line for, in a direct line for, in a straight line for, in a bee line with, in a direct line with, in a straight line with, in a line with, full tilt at, as the crow flies, before the wind, near the wind, close to the wind, against the wind, windwards, in the wind's eye, through, via, by way of, in all directions, in all manner of ways, quaquaversum, from the four winds, the shortest distance between two points is a stra.

Sharpness
N sharpness, acuity, acumination, spinosity, point, spike, spine, spicule, spiculum, needle, hypodermic needle, tack, nail, pin, prick, prickle, spur, rowel, barb, spit, cusp, horn, antler, snag, tag thorn, bristle, Adam's needle, bear grass, tine, yucca, nib, tooth, tusk, spoke, cog, ratchet, crag, crest, arete, cone peak, sugar loaf, pike, aiguille, spire, pyramid, steeple, beard, chevaux de frise, porcupine, hedgehog, brier, bramble, thistle, comb, awn, beggar's lice, bur, burr, catchweed, cleavers, clivers, goose, grass, hairif, hariff, flax comb, hackle, hatchel, heckle, wedge, knife edge, cutting edge, blade, edge tool, cutlery, knife, penknife, whittle, razor, razor blade, safety razor, straight razor, electric razor, scalpel, bistoury, lancet, plowshare, coulter, colter, hatchet, ax, pickax, mattock, pick, adze, gill, billhook, cleaver, cutter, scythe, sickle, scissors, shears, pruning shears, cutters, wire cutters, nail clipper, paper cutter, sword, bodkin, belduque, bowie knife, paring knife, bushwhacker, drawing knife, drawing shave, microtome, chisel, screwdriver blade, flint blade, guillotine, sharpener, hone, strop, grindstone, whetstone, novaculite, steel, emery, sharp, keen, acute, acicular, aciform, aculeated, acuminated, pointed, tapering, conical, pyramidal, mucronate, mucronated, spindle shaped, needle shaped, spiked, spiky, ensiform, peaked, salient, cusped, cuspidate, cuspidated, cornute, cornuted, cornicultate, prickly, spiny, spinous, spicular, thorny, bristling, muricated, pectinated, studded, thistly, briary, craggy, snaggy, digitated, two-edged, fusiform, dentiform, denticulated, toothed, odontoid, starlike, stellated, stelliform, sagittate, sagittiform, arrowheaded, arrowy, barbed, spurred, acinaciform, apiculate, apiculated, aristate, awned, awny, bearded, calamiform, cone-shaped, coniform, crestate, echinate, gladiate, lanceolate, lanciform, awl, awl-shaped, lance-shaped, awl- shaped, scimitar-shaped, sword-shaped, setarious, spinuliferous, subulate, tetrahedral, xiphoid, cutting, sharp edged, knife edged, sharp as a razor, keen as a razor, sharp as a needle, sharp as a tack, sharpened, set.

Perforator
N perforator, piercer, borer, auger, chisel, gimlet, stylet, drill, wimble, awl, bradawl, scoop, terrier, corkscrew, dibble, trocar, trepan, probe, bodkin, needle, stiletto, rimer, warder, lancet, punch, puncheon, spikebit, gouge, spear, puncher, punching machine, punching press, punch pliers.

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