needle: [OE] Etymologically, a needle is a ‘sewing’ implement. The word comes from a prehistoric Germanic *nēthlō (source also of German nadel, Dutch naald, Swedish nål, and Danish naal), which was derived from an Indo- European base *nē- ‘sew’ (represented also in English nerve and neural). => nerve, neural
needle (n.)
Old English nædl, from Proto-Germanic *næthlo (cognates: Old Saxon nathla, Old Norse nal, Old Frisian nedle, Old High German nadala, German Nadel, Gothic neþla "needle"), literally "a tool for sewing," from PIE *net-la-, from root *(s)ne- "to sew, to spin" (cognates: Sanskrit snayati "wraps up," Greek nein "to spin," Latin nere "to spin," German nähen "to sew," Old Church Slavonic niti "thread," Old Irish snathat "needle," Welsh nyddu "to sew," nodwydd "needle") + instrumental suffix *-tla.
To seke out one lyne in all hys bookes wer to go looke a nedle in a meadow. [Thomas More, c. 1530]
Meaning "piece of magnetized steel in a compass" is from late 14c. (on a dial or indicator from 1928); the surgical instrument so called from 1727; phonographic sense from 1902; sense of "leaf of a fir or pine tree" first attested 1797. Needledom "the world of sewing" is from 1847. Needle's eye, figurative of a minute opening, often is a reference to Matt. xix:24.
needle (v.)
1715, "to sew or pierce with a needle," from needle (n.). Meaning "goad, provoke" (1881) probably is from earlier meaning "haggle in making a bargain" (1812). Related: Needled; needling.
实用例句
1. She passed the needle through the rough cloth, back and forth.
她一针一针地缝那块粗布。
来自柯林斯例句
2. At 240 mph the needle went off the clock.
车速达到每小时240英里时，里程表上的指针显示超出了最高时速。
来自柯林斯例句
3. I hyperventilate when they come near me with the needle.
当他们拿着注射针走近我时，我的呼吸急速加快。
来自柯林斯例句
4. She took the needle off the record and turned the lights out.
她把唱针从唱片上移开，把灯也关了。
来自柯林斯例句
5. I sit down, thread a needle, snip off an old button.
