needle

[[t]ni͟ːd(ə)l[/t]]

needles, needling, needled

1) N-COUNT A needle is a small, very thin piece of polished metal which is used for sewing. It has a sharp point at one end and a hole in the other for a thread to go through.

2) N-COUNT: usu supp N Knitting needles are thin sticks that are used for knitting. They are usually made of plastic or metal and have a point at one end.

3) N-COUNT A needle is a thin hollow metal rod with a sharp point, which is part of a medical instrument called a syringe. It is used to put a drug into someone's body, or to take blood out.

4) N-COUNT A needle is a thin metal rod with a point which is put into a patient's body during acupuncture.

5) N-COUNT On a record player, the needle is the small pointed device that touches the record and picks up the sound signals.

She took the needle off the record and turned the lights out.

Syn:

stylus

6) N-COUNT On an instrument which measures something such as speed or weight, the needle is the long strip of metal or plastic on the dial that moves backwards and forwards, showing the measurement.

She kept looking at the dial on the boiler. The needle had reached 250 degrees.

7) N-COUNT: usu pl The needles of a fir or pine tree are its thin, hard, pointed leaves.

The carpet of pine needles was soft underfoot.

8) VERB If someone needles you, they annoy you continually, especially by criticizing you.

[V n] Blake could see he had needled Jerrold, which might be unwise.

Syn:

niggle

9) like looking for a needle in a haystack → see haystack

→ See also pins and needles