[ So named after Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. ] Either of two obelisks which were moved in ancient times from Heliopolis to Alexandria, one of which is now on the Thames Embankment in London, and the other in Central Park, in the City of New York.

☞ Some writers consider that only the obelisk now in Central Park is properly called Cleopatra's needle. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. (Zool.) A dragon fly. See Darning needle, under Darn, v. t. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A small slender hollow metallic tube, sharp-pointed at one end and fitted at the other end with an adapter of larger internal diameter, designed for introduction of liquids directly into the bloodstream or other parts of the body of an animal. [ PJC ]

2. a hypodermic needle{ 1 } together with an attached syringe. [ PJC ]

n. A slender magnet suspended in a magnetic compass on a low-friction mounting; used to indicate the direction of the earth's magnetic pole. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ OE. nedle, AS. n&aemacr_;dl; akin to D. neald, OS. nādla, G. nadel, OHG. nādal, nādala, Icel. nāl, Sw. nål, Dan. naal, and also to G. nähen to sew, OHG. nājan, L. nere to spin, Gr. ne`ein, and perh. to E. snare: cf. Gael. & Ir. snathad needle, Gael. snath thread, G. schnur string, cord. ] 1. A small instrument of steel, sharply pointed at one end, with an eye to receive a thread, -- used in sewing. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In some needles (as for sewing machines) the eye is at the pointed end, but in ordinary needles it is at the blunt end. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. See Magnetic needle, under Magnetic. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Bot.) One of the needle-shaped secondary leaves of pine trees. See Pinus. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Any slender, pointed object, like a needle, as a pointed crystal, a sharp pinnacle of rock, an obelisk, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A hypodermic needle; a syringe fitted with a hypodermic needle, used for injecting fluids into the body. [ Informal ] [ PJC ]

7. An injection of medicine from a hypodermic needle; a shot. [ PJC ]

Dipping needle. See under Dipping. --
Needle bar, the reciprocating bar to which the needle of a sewing machine is attached. --
Needle beam (Arch.), in 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. [ archaic ] --
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 (Zool.), 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 (Zool.), the garfish. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To form in the shape of a needle; as, to needle crystals. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To tease (a person), especially repeatedly. [ PJC ]

3. To prod or goad (someone) into action by teasing or daring. [ PJC ]

v. i. To form needles; to crystallize in the form of needles. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A book-shaped needlecase, having leaves of cloth into which the needles are stuck. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A shrub (Hakea lissosperma) of eastern Australia, with pungent rigid needle-shaped leaves and white flowers.
Syn. -- needle bush, Hakea lissosperma. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A case to keep needles. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. An article or articles created or assembled by needle and thread; needlework.
Syn. -- needlework. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. The art, process, or occupation of creating objects with needles, such as in crocheting, embroidery, quilting, or tapestry. [ PJC ]

n. (Zool.) (a) The European great pipefish (Siphostoma acus or Syngnathus acus); -- called also earl, and tanglefish. (b) The garfish. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. needlefuls As much thread as is used in a needle at one time. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pointed as needles. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who makes or uses needles; also, a dealer in needles. Piers Plowman. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Having no need. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Weeping into the needless stream. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not wanted; unnecessary; not requisite; as, needless labor; needless expenses. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Without sufficient cause; groundless; causeless. “Needless jealousy.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Need"less*ly, adv. -- Need"less*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Min.) Natrolite; -- called also needle zeolite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Needlewomen A woman who does needlework; a seamstress. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A large bushy shrub (Hakea leucoptera) of central and eastern Australia, with pungent pointed leaves and creamy white flowers.
Syn. -- needle wood, Hakea leucoptera. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. Work executed with a needle; sewed work; sewing; embroidery, crocheting, quilting, or tapestry, etc.; also, the art, process, or occupation of creating objects with needles.
Syn. -- needlecraft. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

2. The combination of timber and plaster making the outside framework of some houses. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Zool.) See Garfish (a). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Metal.) A small bar of gold and silver, either pure, or alloyed in some known proportion with copper, for trying the purity of articles of gold or silver by comparison of the streaks made by the article and the bar on a touchstone. [ 1913 Webster ]