{ } n. [ F. spinelle, or LL. spinellus, perhaps from L. spina a thorn, a prickle, in allusion to its pointed crystals. ] (Min.) A mineral occuring in octahedrons of great hardness and various colors, as red, green, blue, brown, and black, the red variety being the gem spinel ruby. It consist essentially of alumina and magnesia, but commonly contains iron and sometimes also chromium. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The spinel group includes spinel proper, also magnetite, chromite, franklinite, gahnite, etc., all of which may be regarded as composed of a sesquioxide and a protoxide in equal proportions. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. spinal, fr. spinnan to spin; akin to D. spil, G. spille, spindel, OHG. spinnala. √170. See Spin. ] 1. The long, round, slender rod or pin in spinning wheels by which the thread is twisted, and on which, when twisted, it is wound; also, the pin on which the bobbin is held in a spinning machine, or in the shuttle of a loom. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A slender rod or pin on which anything turns; an axis; as, the spindle of a vane. Specifically: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

(a) (Mach.) The shaft, mandrel, or arbor, in a machine tool, as a lathe or drilling machine, etc., which causes the work to revolve, or carries a tool or center, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) (Mach.) The vertical rod on which the runner of a grinding mill turns. [ 1913 Webster ]

(c) (Founding) A shaft or pipe on which a core of sand is formed. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The fusee of a watch. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A long and slender stalk resembling a spindle. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A yarn measure containing, in cotton yarn, 15, 120 yards; in linen yarn, 14, 400 yards. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Geom.) A solid generated by the revolution of a curved line about its base or double ordinate or chord. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Zool.) (a) Any marine univalve shell of the genus Rostellaria; -- called also spindle stromb. (b) Any marine gastropod of the genus Fusus. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dead spindle (Mach.), a spindle in a machine tool that does not revolve; the spindle of the tailstock of a lathe. --
Live spindle (Mach.), the revolving spindle of a machine tool; the spindle of the headstock of a turning lathe. --
Spindle shell. (Zool.) See Spindle, 7. above. --
Spindle side, the female side in descent; in the female line; opposed to spear side. Ld. Lytton. [ R. ] “King Lycaon, grandson, by the spindle side, of Oceanus.” Lowell. --
Spindle tree (Bot.), any shrub or tree of the genus Eunymus. The wood of Eunymus Europaeus was used for spindles and skewers. See Prickwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Spindled p. pr. & vb. n. Spindling ] To shoot or grow into a long, slender stalk or body; to become disproportionately tall and slender. [ 1913 Webster ]

It has begun to spindle into overintellectuality. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having long, slender legs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A spindleshanks. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having long, slender legs. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A person with slender shanks, or legs; -- used humorously or in contempt. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Having the shape of a spindle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) Thickest in the middle, and tapering to both ends; fusiform; -- applied chiefly to roots. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The pintail duck. [ Local, U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The larva of a noctuid moth (Achatodes zeae) which feeds inside the stalks of corn (maize), sometimes causing much damage. It is smooth, with a black head and tail and a row of black dots across each segment. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. spinal, fr. spinnan to spin; akin to D. spil, G. spille, spindel, OHG. spinnala. √170. See Spin. ] 1. The long, round, slender rod or pin in spinning wheels by which the thread is twisted, and on which, when twisted, it is wound; also, the pin on which the bobbin is held in a spinning machine, or in the shuttle of a loom. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A slender rod or pin on which anything turns; an axis; as, the spindle of a vane. Specifically: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

(a) (Mach.) The shaft, mandrel, or arbor, in a machine tool, as a lathe or drilling machine, etc., which causes the work to revolve, or carries a tool or center, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) (Mach.) The vertical rod on which the runner of a grinding mill turns. [ 1913 Webster ]

(c) (Founding) A shaft or pipe on which a core of sand is formed. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The fusee of a watch. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A long and slender stalk resembling a spindle. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A yarn measure containing, in cotton yarn, 15, 120 yards; in linen yarn, 14, 400 yards. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Geom.) A solid generated by the revolution of a curved line about its base or double ordinate or chord. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Zool.) (a) Any marine univalve shell of the genus Rostellaria; -- called also spindle stromb. (b) Any marine gastropod of the genus Fusus. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dead spindle (Mach.), a spindle in a machine tool that does not revolve; the spindle of the tailstock of a lathe. --
Live spindle (Mach.), the revolving spindle of a machine tool; the spindle of the headstock of a turning lathe. --
Spindle shell. (Zool.) See Spindle, 7. above. --
Spindle side, the female side in descent; in the female line; opposed to spear side. Ld. Lytton. [ R. ] “King Lycaon, grandson, by the spindle side, of Oceanus.” Lowell. --
Spindle tree (Bot.), any shrub or tree of the genus Eunymus. The wood of Eunymus Europaeus was used for spindles and skewers. See Prickwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Spindled p. pr. & vb. n. Spindling ] To shoot or grow into a long, slender stalk or body; to become disproportionately tall and slender. [ 1913 Webster ]

It has begun to spindle into overintellectuality. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having long, slender legs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A spindleshanks. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having long, slender legs. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A person with slender shanks, or legs; -- used humorously or in contempt. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Having the shape of a spindle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) Thickest in the middle, and tapering to both ends; fusiform; -- applied chiefly to roots. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The pintail duck. [ Local, U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The larva of a noctuid moth (Achatodes zeae) which feeds inside the stalks of corn (maize), sometimes causing much damage. It is smooth, with a black head and tail and a row of black dots across each segment. [ 1913 Webster ]