Definition of needle
1a : a small slender usually steel instrument that has an eye for thread or surgical sutures at one end and that is used for sewingb : any of various devices for carrying thread and making stitches (as in crocheting or knitting)c (1) : a slender hollow instrument for introducing material into or removing material from the body (as by insertion under the skin) (2) : an extremely thin solid usually stainless steel instrument used in acupuncture and inserted through the skind : any of various slender hollow devices used to introduce matter (such as air) into or remove it from an object (such as a ball)
2a : a slender bar of magnetized steel that when allowed to turn freely (as in a compass) indicates the direction of a magnetic field (as of the earth)b : a slender usually sharp-pointed indicator on a dial
3a : a slender pointed object resembling a needle: such as (1) : a pointed crystal (2) : a sharp rock (3) : obeliskb : a needle-shaped leaf (as of a conifer)c : a slender rod (as of jewel or steel) with a rounded tip used in a phonograph to transmit vibrations from a record : stylusd : a slender pointed rod controlling a fine inlet or outlet (as in a valve)
4 : a teasing or gibing remark
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Examples of needle in a Sentence
I need a needle and thread to sew the button on your shirt.
The needle on the scale points to 9 grams.
The compass needle points north.
Recent Examples of needle from the Web
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Spectators plugged their ears with their fingers and gamely dodged the occasional needle-sharp sting of a rogue ice pellet.
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But with a seemingly impossible needle to thread through his own caucus, McConnell might have hit a permanent roadblock on his dream to demolish the Affordable Care Act.
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But to take that meeting, and pull then campaign manager Paul Manafort and his brother-in-law Jared Kushner into it as well, has moved the needle from just plain incompetence to possible violation of campaign laws.
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But even with Bannon back in power, his juice may be unlikely to move the needle on the most sacrosanct of Republican legislative topics: asking mega-rich people to pay even a penny more in taxes.
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Buy Photo Clean-up of the Gurney Street railroad gulch in Fairhill, which has become a campground for heroin users and a dumping site of needles and garbage, won’t start Monday, as originally planned.
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Jared plays one of the boys as a teenager, who finds his childhood companion in the bathroom, unconscious with a needle, spoon and lighter on the counter.
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None of the potential pressure points has proved strong enough to move the needle on a deal so far.
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On Allen’s left, a cutting wind scythes across a row of rock needles and down to the valley on the Italian side, nearly 10,000 feet below.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'needle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Illustration of needle
Origin and Etymology of needle
Middle English nedle, from Old English nǣdl; akin to Old High German nādala needle, nājan to sew, Latin nēre to spin, Greek nēn
Examples of needle in a Sentence
His classmates needled him about his new haircut.
we needled him mercilessly for thinking that he had any chance of being the prom date for the school's most popular girl
Recent Examples of needle from the Web
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Think back to the Kings 116-98 loss to Milwaukee, when the Bucks were all too at home at Golden 1 Center, laughing their way to victory as recurring Sacramento villains Jason Terry and Spencer Hawes took extra glee in needling Kings fans.
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Trump Jr. continued to tweet about Griffin, needling CNN to take action.
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Meanwhile, House Democrats continued to try to needle Rauner, approving legislation that would gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2022, up from the current rate of $8.25.
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And while her speech frequently needled her former rival and criticized the divisive political climate, Clinton also urged students to stand up for their values, and above all the truth.
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Steve Hellyer, Oregon’s publicist for much of the Brooks era, used to needle Cowan about it.
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There was no immediate comment from President Donald Trump, who needled Ford during his campaign over its plans to build a new small car plant in Mexico.
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The president in particular went after Schumer and Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, needling the Democrat about his past prevarication about serving in Vietnam.
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Instead of needling her, try talking about what’s got her so upset.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'needle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of needle
circa 1715
NEEDLE Defined for English Language Learners
needle
playDefinition of needle for English Language Learners
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: a small, very thin object that is used in sewing and that has a sharp point at one end and a hole for thread
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: one of the two long, thin sticks that are used in knitting and that are pointed at one end
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: a very thin, pointed steel tube that is pushed through the skin so that something (such as a drug) can be put into your body or so that blood or other fluids can be taken from it
needle
Definition of needle for English Language Learners
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: to criticize and laugh at (someone) in either a friendly or an unkind way
NEEDLE Defined for Kids
Definition of needle for Students
1 : a small slender pointed usually steel tool used for sewing
2 : a slender pointed piece of metal or plastic (used for knitting)
3 : a leaf (as of a pine) shaped like a needle
4 : a pointer on a dial The needle on her gas gauge read “empty.”
5 : a slender hollow instrument that has a sharp point and by which material is put into or taken from the body through the skin
needlelike
\ˈnē-dəl-ˌlīk\ adjectiveHeadscratcher for needle
Do you need needles? If you add another “s” to needles, you'll find that needles are needless.
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of needle
1: a small slender usually steel instrument designed to carry sutures when sewing tissues in surgery
2: a slender hollow instrument for introducing material into or removing material from the body parenterally
needle
Medical Definition of needle
needled
;needling
\ˈnēd-liŋ, -əl-iŋ\play: to puncture, operate on, or inject with a needle needling a cataract
Learn More about needle
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See words that rhyme with needle Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for needle Spanish Central: Translation of needle Nglish: Translation of needle for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of needle for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about needle
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