needle

needle
    n 1: the leaf of a conifer [syn: {acerate leaf}, {needle}]
    2: a slender pointer for indicating the reading on the scale of
       a measuring instrument
    3: a sharp pointed implement (usually steel)
    4: a stylus that formerly made sound by following a groove in a
       phonograph record [syn: {phonograph needle}, {needle}]
    v 1: goad or provoke,as by constant criticism; "He needled her
         with his sarcastic remarks" [syn: {needle}, {goad}]
    2: prick with a needle
    

Needle \Nee"dle\, v. t.
   1. To form in the shape of a needle; as, to needle crystals.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To tease (a person), especially repeatedly.
      [PJC]

   3. To prod or goad (someone) into action by teasing or
      daring.
      [PJC]
    

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[aum]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} (Zool.), 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} (Zool.), the garfish.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Needle \Nee"dle\, v. i.
   To form needles; to crystallize in the form of needles.
   [1913 Webster]
    

Stylus \Sty"lus\, n. [L. stylus, or better stilus.]
   1. An instrument for writing. See {Style}, n., 1.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. That needle-shaped part at the tip of the playing arm of
      phonograph which sits in the groove of a phonograph record
      while it is turning, to detect the undulations in the
      phonograph groove and convert them into vibrations which
      are transmitted to a system (since 1920 electronic) which
      converts the signal into sound; also called {needle}. The
      stylus is frequently composed of a hard metal or of
      diamond.
      [PJC]

   3. The needle-like device used to cut the grooves which
      record the sound on the original disc during recording of
      a phonograph record; it is moved by the vibrations given
      to the diaphragm by a sound, and produces the indented
      record.
      [PJC]

   4. (Computers) A pen-shaped pointing device used to specify
      the cursor position on a graphics tablet.
      [PJC] Stymie
    

Needle
used only in the proverb, "to pass through a needle's eye"
(Matt. 19:24; Mark 10:25; Luke 18:25). Some interpret the
expression as referring to the side gate, close to the principal
gate, usually called the "eye of a needle" in the East; but it
is rather to be taken literally. The Hebrew females were skilled
in the use of the needle (Ex. 28:39; 26:36; Judg. 5:30).
    

276 Moby Thesaurus words for "needle":
      Gramophone, Gyrosin compass, PA, PA system, RDF, Victrola, aculeus,
      acumination, aggravate, annoy, arrow, audio sound system,
      audiophile, auger, badger, bait, banter, be at, bedevil, beset,
      between, binaural system, bit, bitch box, bite, blade, blaze,
      blunt, bore, borer, bother, bract, bracteole, bractlet, bramble,
      brier, bristle, broach, brown off, bug, bullhorn, bullyrag, burin,
      burn up, burr, cactus, cartridge, catchweed, ceramic pickup, chaff,
      changer, chivy, cleavers, compass, compass needle, cotyledon,
      countersink, crystal pickup, cusp, derived four-channel system,
      devil, die, direction, direction finder, direction post,
      discompose, discrete four-channel system, distemper, disturb, dog,
      drill, dun, empierce, engraving tool, etching ball, etching ground,
      etching needle, etching point, exasperate, exercise, fash,
      finger post, fist, fix, flag, flog, floral leaf, foliole,
      four-channel stereo system, frond, get, glume, gnaw, goad,
      goose grass, gore, gouge, gouge out, graver, gripe, guide,
      guideboard, guidepost, gyrocompass, gyroscopic compass,
      gyrostatic compass, hand, harass, harry, haze, heckle, hector,
      hi-fi, hi-fi fan, high-fidelity, hole, honeycomb, hound, hour hand,
      impale, index, index finger, inertial navigation system, intaglio,
      intercom, intercommunication system, involucre, involucrum, irk,
      jape, jest, jive, joke, jolly, josh, jukebox, kid, knitting wire,
      lamina, lance, lash, lead, leaf, leaflet, lemma, ligule,
      long-eyed sharp, loran, lubber line, magnetic compass,
      magnetic needle, magnetic pickup, miff, milepost, minute hand,
      molest, monaural system, mono, mucro, nag, neb, nettle, nib,
      nickelodeon, nudge, nudzh, peeve, penetrate, perforate, persecute,
      pester, petal, phonograph, photoelectric pickup, pick on, pickup,
      pierce, pile, pine needle, pink, pique, plague, pluck the beard,
      point, pointer, poke, pother, prick, prickle, prod, provoke,
      public-address system, punch, puncture, put on,
      quadraphonic sound system, quill, radio compass,
      radio direction finder, radio-phonograph combination, rag, rally,
      razz, ream, ream out, record changer, record player, rib, riddle,
      ride, rile, roast, rocker, roil, ruffle, run through, scorper,
      seal, seed leaf, sepal, sew, sew up, sharp, shoran, signboard,
      signpost, skewer, sound reproduction system, sound truck, spathe,
      spear, spicule, spiculum, spike, spikelet, spine, spire, spit,
      spur, squawk box, stab, stamp, stereo, stick, sticker, sting,
      stipula, stipule, stitch, straw, style, stylus, system, tailor,
      tap, tape deck, tape recorder, tease, thistle, thorn, tip,
      tone arm, torment, transcription turntable, transfix, transpierce,
      trepan, trephine, try the patience, turntable, tweak the nose,
      twit, vex, whip, worry, yucca