Genista Anglica

Needle Nee"dle (n[=e]"d'l), n. [OE. nedle, AS. n[=ae]dl; akin to D. neald, OS. n[=a]dla, G. nadel, OHG. n[=a]dal, n[=a]dala, Icel. n[=a]l, Sw. n[*a]l, Dan. naal, and also to G. n["a]hen to sew, OHG. n[=a]jan, L. nere to spin, Gr. ne`ein, and perh. to E. snare: cf. Gael. & Ir. snathad needle, Gael. snath thread, G. schnur string, cord.] 1. A small instrument of steel, sharply pointed at one end, with an eye to receive a thread, -- used in sewing. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

Note: 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]

2. See {Magnetic needle}, under {Magnetic}. [1913 Webster]

3. 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]

4. (Bot.) One of the needle-shaped secondary leaves of pine trees. See {Pinus}. [1913 Webster]

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

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

7. 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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} (Zo["o]l.), the garfish. [1913 Webster]