needle

American  

[need-l] / ˈnid l /

noun

• needles
  plural

1. a small, slender, rodlike instrument, usually of polished steel, with a sharp point at one end and an eye or hole for thread at the other, for passing thread through cloth to make stitches in sewing.

2. any of various similar, usually considerably larger, implements for making stitches, as one for use in knitting or one hooked at the end for use in crocheting.

3. Medicine/Medical.

   1. a slender, pointed, steel instrument used in sewing or piercing tissues, as in suturing.

   2. hypodermic needle.

4. Informal. an injection of a drug or medicine; shot.

5. any of various objects resembling or suggesting a needle.

6. the tapered stylus at the end of a phonographic tonearm, used to transmit vibrations from a record groove to a transducer for conversion to audible signals.

7. Electricity. magnetic needle.

8. a pointed instrument, or stylus, used in engraving, etching, or the like.

9. Botany. a needle-shaped leaf, as of a conifer.

   a pine needle.

10. Zoology. a slender sharp spicule.

11. Chemistry, Mineralogy. a needlelike crystal.

12. a sharp-pointed mass or pinnacle of rock.

13. an obelisk or a tapering, four-sided shaft of stone.

    Cleopatra's Needle.

14. Also called needle beam. Building Trades. a short beam passed through a wall as a temporary support.

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verb (used with object)

• needles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• needled,
  past participle,  past
• needling
  present participle

1. to sew or pierce with or as if with a needle.

   to needle a patch on a sleeve.

2. Informal.

   1. to prod or goad (someone) to a specified action.

      We needled her into going with us.

   2. to tease.

      We needled him about his big ears.

3. Slang. to add alcohol or ether to (a beverage).

   to needle beer.

verb (used without object)

• needles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• needled,
  past participle,  past
• needling
  present participle

1. to form needles in crystallization.

2. to work with a needle.

idioms

1. the needle, irritating abuse; teasing; heckling (used especially in the phrases give someone the needle andget the needle ).

2. on the needle, taking drugs by injection, especially habitually.

needle British  

/ ˈniːdəl /

noun

1. a pointed slender piece of metal, usually steel, with a hole or eye in it through which thread is passed for sewing

2. a somewhat larger rod with a point at one or each end, used in knitting

3. a similar instrument with a hook at one end for crocheting

4. 1. another name for stylus

   2. a small thin pointed device, esp one made of stainless steel, used to transmit the vibrations from a gramophone record to the pick-up

5. med

   1. the long hollow pointed part of a hypodermic syringe, which is inserted into the body

   2. an informal name for hypodermic syringe

6. surgery a pointed steel instrument, often curved, for suturing, puncturing, or ligating

7. a long narrow stiff leaf, esp of a conifer, in which water loss is greatly reduced

   pine needles

8. any slender sharp spine, such as the spine of a sea urchin

9. any slender pointer for indicating the reading on the scale of a measuring instrument

10. short for magnetic needle

11. a crystal resembling a needle in shape

12. a sharp pointed metal instrument used in engraving and etching

13. anything long and pointed, such as an obelisk

    a needle of light

14. a short horizontal beam passed through a wall and supported on vertical posts to take the load of the upper part of the wall

15. informal

    1. anger or intense rivalry, esp in a sporting encounter

    2. ( as modifier )

       a needle match

16. informal to feel dislike, distaste, nervousness, or annoyance (for)

    she got the needle after he had refused her invitation

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verb

1. informal (tr) to goad or provoke, as by constant criticism

2. (tr) to sew, embroider, or prick (fabric) with a needle

3. (tr) to increase the alcoholic strength of (beer or other beverages)

4. (intr) (of a substance) to form needle-shaped crystals

needle Scientific  

/ nēd′l /

1. A narrow, stiff leaf, as of firs, pines, and other conifers. The reduced surface area of needles minimizes water loss and allows needle-bearing plants to live in dry climates.

2. See more at leaf

3. See hypodermic needle

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needle More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing needle

• on pins and needles

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• needlelike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• needles
  plural

Participles

• needling
  present
• needled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• needle
  simple
• needles
  simple
• have needled
  perfect
• has needled
  perfect
• am needling
  progressive
• are needling
  progressive
• is needling
  progressive
• have been needling
  perfect progressive
• has been needling
  perfect progressive

Past

• needled
  simple
• had needled
  perfect
• was needling
  progressive
• were needling
  progressive
• had been needling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will needle
  simple
• will have needled
  perfect
• will be needling
  progressive
• will have been needling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of needle

First recorded before 900; 1880–85 needle for def. 16; Middle English nedle, Old English nǣdl, cognate with German Nadel; akin to Latin nēre to spin

Explanation

A needle is a small, pointed piece of metal that's used in medicine or sewing. When a tailor sews a button on your shirt or even when a doctor sews your skin back together, a needle is used. Needles are sharp — when you stitch fabric with a needle, you might use a metal thimble to protect your fingertip. When a doctor or nurse uses a needle, it needs to be very sharp — it has to be able to penetrate human skin to stitch up a wound or inject a medication. When you needle someone, you don't literally poke them, but you do annoy or provoke them in some way.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

needle needles needled needling

If not rock-bottom prices, what’s available for dealers to move the needle?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

As Buffett himself pointed out repeatedly, the bigger Berkshire Hathaway got, the harder it was for him to find market-beating investment picks big enough to move the needle.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

These are fair questions the film never bothers to consider, instead favoring inert dialogue and needle drops that tell the audience when they’re supposed to be moved.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

But the logs from the OpenAI outbreaks have potentially moved the needle on that argument.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

“Of course you do,” she said, before flicking the compass needle and spinning it round and round.

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller

There was the chirping of cicadas and the crunch of desiccated pine needles underfoot, but the most remarkable thing about the place was the quiet.

From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026

Dead pine needles and soot carpet the forest floor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

I had been having a strange feeling of pins and needles in my face and was convinced it was a problem with my wisdom teeth.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

So, go ahead, keep NBA schedule-makers on pins and needles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

“I just said you’re afraid of needles, baby. Come on. We need to go see Haazim!”

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein

Mr. Ireland indicates the uneven power dynamics involved when Leigh, though squirming at the idea, is needled into answering the same repulsive question, settling on Margaret Thatcher.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

Women on the jury bristled when Meta attorney Andrew Stanner needled Kaley’s former therapist over her credentials during a tense cross examination on Wednesday — “You have a master’s degree, right?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026

During the session in 2017, he needled Rex Tillerson - urging him to describe Russian President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal which Tillerson refused to do.

From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2025

In theaters, airplanes and performance spaces, I needled my companions by demanding specific aisle seats for legroom and faster escape.

From Salon ● Dec. 30, 2023

Then the planes flew high and needled into the sky that spread above them like a thin fabric.

From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat

British journalist Piers Morgan, who delights in needling Australia, posted his condolences along with a prayer emoji on social media: "My thoughts with @CricketAus at this very difficult time."

From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026

Solomon’s response didn’t suffice for Wells Fargo’s Mike Mayo, who followed up by needling the investment bank.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 13, 2026

Raducanu suffered a back spasm in Strasbourg last week, using dry needling and heat therapy to help her recovery.

From BBC ● May 26, 2025

Kupp has been in the league since 2017 and doesn’t mind needling his buddy a bit, especially about the hands.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 17, 2024

There is an almost unbearable pain needling my fingers as a result of these overabundant scribblings.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Related Words

• badger
• bait
• bedevil
• goad
• hector
• irk
• irritate
• nag
• pester
• prod
• taunt
• tweak