# needle

/ˈnidəɫ/ (US) · /nˈiːdəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/needle
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. sewing tool

noun · CEFR B1

a small, thin piece of metal with a sharp point at one end and a hole for thread at the other.

For teachers: a slender, pointed implement used in sewing or embroidery, typically featuring an eye at one end to carry thread.

- She threaded the needle carefully before starting to fix the hole in her shirt.
- The tailor selected a particularly fine needle to ensure the delicate silk fabric remained undamaged during the embroidery process.

### 2. medical tool

noun · CEFR B1

a thin, hollow metal tube with a sharp point used by doctors to give medicine or take blood.

For teachers: a hollow, sharpened instrument used for subcutaneous, intramuscular, or intravenous injections and aspirations.

- The nurse used a new needle to give the patient his flu shot.
- Modern medical protocols require the immediate disposal of used needles into a puncture-resistant sharps container to prevent accidental injury.

### 3. indicator

noun · CEFR B2

the thin pointer on a dial or gauge that shows a measurement.

For teachers: a slender pointer on a measuring instrument, such as a compass, speedometer, or pressure gauge.

- The needle on the fuel gauge was pointing to empty.
- As the aircraft accelerated, the pilot watched the needle on the airspeed indicator climb steadily toward the cruising threshold.

### 4. leaf

noun · CEFR B2

the thin, sharp leaf of a tree like a pine or fir.

For teachers: a stiff, slender, needle-shaped leaf characteristic of many coniferous trees.

- The ground was covered in dry pine needles after the storm.
- The forest floor was carpeted with a thick layer of acidic needles, which inhibited the growth of most smaller flowering plants.

### 5. programming

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a specific piece of text that you are looking for inside a larger document or string.

For teachers: a specific string or pattern being searched for within a larger body of data, often referred to as the haystack.

- The function returns the position of the needle within the longer string.
- The algorithm is designed to locate the needle efficiently even when the haystack consists of several gigabytes of unstructured text.

### 6. to tease

verb · CEFR C1 · Informal

to annoy or tease someone by repeatedly pointing out their mistakes or making fun of them.

For teachers: to provoke, annoy, or harass someone through persistent teasing or petty criticism.

- His older brother would always needle him about his fear of spiders.
- The defense attorney continued to needle the witness, hoping a frustrated outburst would undermine their credibility before the jury.

## Examples

- The nurse used a clean needle to give the vaccination.
- The compass needle pointed north, helping the hikers find their way back to the camp.
- As the engine began to overheat, the temperature needle on the dashboard crept steadily toward the red warning zone, prompting the driver to pull over immediately.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.