needle

Pronunciation

• IPA ^(key): /'niː.dl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

Singular needle

Plural needles

1. (countable) (sewing) A needle is a small, long, thin sharp metal thing with a hole in it, used for sewing.

   She used a needle and blue thread to fix the hole in the shirt.

2. (countable) (medicine) A needle is a long, thing, sharp metal thing for putting drugs into a person through the skin.

   The doctor used the needle to inject the medicine into the patient.

• 
  A hypodermic needle (sense 2)

Verb

Plain form needle

Third-person singular needles

Past tense needled

Past participle needled

Present participle needling

1. (transitive) To tease; to make fun of.

   Billy needled his sister incessantly about her pimples.