needle

nee-dle · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A thin, pointed piece of metal used in sewing.

  2. 2.

    To provoke or annoy someone; to tease.

  3. 3.

    A thin, hollow, pointed piece of metal used for injections.

  4. 4.

    The pointer on a compass or gauge.

  5. 5.

    The thin, pointed leaf of a conifer tree.

Forms

plural: needles

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    a needle in a haystack — Something extremely difficult to find.
  • •
    pins and needles — A tingling sensation in a limb.

Related words

See also: pin, sew, thread
Synonyms: pin, syringe

Etymology

From Old English naedl, from Proto-Germanic nathlo, from PIE root sne- ("to spin, sew").