needle

noun

A long, thin, sharp implement usually for piercing as in sewing, embroidery, acupuncture, tattooing, body piercing, medical injections, sutures, etc; or a blunt but otherwise similar implement used for forming loops or knots in crafts such as darning, knitting, tatting, etc.

Any slender, pointed object resembling a needle, such as a pointed crystal, a sharp pinnacle of rock, an obelisk, etc.

A fine measurement indicator on a dial or graph.

(informal) A sensor for playing phonograph records, a phonograph stylus.

A needle-like leaf found on some conifers.

(informal, usually preceded by the) The death penalty carried out by lethal injection.

A strong beam resting on props, used as a temporary support during building repairs.

(gymnastics) A move in which the performer begins with two hands and one leg on the floor, then kicks the other leg into a full split.

(entomology) Any of various species of damselfly of the genus Synlestes, endemic to Australia.

(programming) A text string that is searched for within another string. (see: needle in a haystack)

A surname.

verb

To pierce with a needle, especially for sewing or acupuncture.

(transitive) To tease in order to provoke; to poke fun at.

(ambitransitive) To form, or be formed, in the shape of a needle.

Synonyms for needle

stitchn puncturen trephinen stabn pricklen

Synonyms & related words for needle

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of needle — including stitch, puncture, trephine, stab, prickle. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to needle

Explore words related to needle — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include needleful, acerate, hypodermic, hypodermically, aiguille, threader, syringe, acicula. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for needle

Common synonyms for needle include stitch, puncture, trephine, stab, prickle — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.