needle (needles plural & 3rd person present, plural) (needling present participle) (needled past tense & past participle )
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 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.
usu supp N
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 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.
6 n-count The needles of a fir or pine tree are its thin, hard, pointed leaves.
usu pl
The carpet of pine needles was soft underfoot.
7 verb If someone needles you, they annoy you continually, especially by criticizing you.
Blake could see he had needled Jerrold, which might be unwise. V n
8 →
pins and needles →
like looking for a needle in a haystack →
haystack
knitting needle (knitting needles plural )Knitting needles are thin plastic or metal rods which you use when you are knitting. n-count
needle exchange (needle exchanges plural ), needle-exchange A needle exchange is a place where drug addicts are able to obtain new syringes in exchange for used ones. n-count
...needle exchange schemes.
pine needle (pine needles plural )Pine needles are very thin, sharp leaves that grow on pine trees. n-count usu pl
