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.
4. (Bot.) One of the needle-shaped secondary leaves of pine trees. See
Pinus.
5. Any slender, pointed object, like a needle, as a pointed crystal, a
sharp pinnacle of rock, an obelisk, etc.
Dipping needle. See under Dipping. -- Needle bar, the reciprocating bar
to which the needle of a sewing machine is attached. -- Needle beam
(Arch.), to 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. -- 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 (Zoöl.), 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 (Zoöl.), the garfish.
Nee"dle, v. t. To form in the shape of a needle; as, to needle
crystals.
Nee"dle, v. i. To form needles; to crystallize in the form of needles.
Nee"dle*book` (?), n. A book- shaped needlecase, having leaves of cloth
into which the needles are stuck.
Nee"dle*case` (?), n. A case to keep needles.
Nee"dle*fish` (?), n. (Zoöl.) (a) The European great pipefish
(Siphostoma, or Syngnathus, acus); -- called also earl, and tanglefish.
(b) The garfish.
nee"dle*ful (?), n.; pl. needlefuls (&?;). As much thread as is used in
a needle at one time.
Nee"dle-pointed` (?), a. Pointed as needles.
Nee"dler (?), n. One who makes or uses needles; also, a dealer in
needles. Piers Plowman.