Needle vs Nail - What's the difference?
needle | nail |
A long, thin, sharp implement usually for piercing such as sewing, or knitting, acupuncture, tattooing, body piercing, medical injections etc.
Any slender, pointed object resembling a needle, such as a pointed crystal, a sharp pinnacle of rock, an obelisk, etc.
A long, thin device for indicating measurements on a dial or graph, e.g. a compass needle .
A sensor for playing phonograph records, a phonograph stylus.
A long, pointed leaf found on some conifers.
* 1994 , , ch. 2:
(informal, usually preceded by the) The death penalty carried out by lethal injection.
To pierce with a needle, especially for sewing or acupuncture.
* 1892 , H. Lindo Ferguson, "Operation on Microphthamlmic Eyes", Ophthalmic Review? , volume 11, page 48
* 2000 , Felix Mann, Reinventing Acupuncture , page 109
To tease in order to provoke; to poke fun at.
* 1984 , Leopold Caligor, Philip M. Bromberg, & James D. Meltzer, Clinical Perspectives on the Supervision of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy? , page 14
To form in the shape of a needle.
The thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and toes on humans and some other animals.
The basal thickened portion of the anterior wings of certain hemiptera.
The terminal horny plate on the beak of ducks, and other allied birds.
A spike-shaped metal fastener used for joining wood or similar materials. The nail is generally driven through two or more layers of material by means of impacts from a hammer or other device. It is then held in place by friction.
*
A round pedestal on which merchants once carried out their business, such as the four nails outside .
An archaic English unit of length equivalent to 1/20th of an ell or 1/16th of a yard (2.25 inches or 5.715 cm).
To fix (an object) to another object using a nail.
To drive a nail.
To stud or boss with nails, or as if with nails.
* Dryden
(slang) To catch.
* 2005 , (Plato), Sophist . Translation by Lesley Brown. .
(slang) To expose as a sham.
(slang) To accomplish (a task) completely and successfully.
(slang) To hit (a target) effectively with some weapon.
* {{quote-news
, year=2011
, date=October 1
, author=Tom Fordyce
, title=Rugby World Cup 2011: England 16-12 Scotland
, work=BBC Sport
(slang) Of a male, to engage in sexual intercourse with.
To spike, as a cannon.
In transitive terms the difference between needle and nail
is that needle is to form in the shape of a needle while nail is to stud or boss with nails, or as if with nails.As nouns the difference between needle and nail
is that needle is a long, thin, sharp implement usually for piercing such as sewing, or knitting, acupuncture, tattooing, body piercing, medical injections etc while nail is the thin, horny plate at the ends of fingers and toes on humans and some other animals.As verbs the difference between needle and nail
is that needle is to pierce with a needle, especially for sewing or acupuncture while nail is to fix (an object) to another object using a nail.needle
English
(wikipedia needle)Noun
(en noun)- The seamstress threaded the needle to sew on a button.
- The needle on the fuel gauge pointed to empty.
- Ziggy bought some diamond needles for his hi-fi phonograph.
- At the very moment he cried out, David realised that what he had run into was only the Christmas tree. Disgusted with himself at such cowardice, he spat a needle from his mouth.
Derived terms
* compass needle * knitting needle * needlenose * needlenose pliers * on pins and needles * move the needle * packing needle * pine needle * pins and needles * needle in a haystack * needlepunch * needle-sharp * needlewiseSee also
* acerate * eye * pinVerb
(needl)- the eyes were once more beginning to show the old nystagmus; so I decided to needle' the cataracts, and on Jan. 31 I ' needled the right eye.
- Possibly the greatest effect is achieved in the hand by needling the thumb, the index finger and the region of the 1st and 2nd metacarpal.
- Billy needled his sister incessantly about her pimples.
- FRED: Well, I teased her to some extent, or I needled' her, not teased her. I ' needled her about—first I said that she didn't want to work, and then I think that there were a couple of comments.
- to needle crystals
Synonyms
* (to tease) goad, teaseAnagrams
* 1000 English basic wordsnail
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) nail, nayl, (etyl) ).Noun
(en noun)- Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out. Indeed, a nail filed sharp is not of much avail as an arrowhead; you must have it barbed, and that was a little beyond our skill.
Derived terms
* eightpenny nail * fourpenny nail * hangnail * hard as nails * hit the nail on the head * (l) * nail file / nail-file / nailfile * nail polish * (l) * (l) * on the nail * fingernail * rusty nail * sixpenny nail * spit nails * straw nail * tenpenny nail * toenail * twelvepenny nailSee also
* claw * talonEtymology 2
From (etyl)Verb
(en verb)- He nailed the placard to the post.
- He used the ax head for nailing .
- The rivets of your arms were nailed with gold.
- we'll nail the sophist to it, if we can get him on that charge;
- I really nailed that test.
citation, page= , passage=Fly-half Ruaridh Jackson departed early with injury but Chris Paterson nailed a penalty from wide out left to give Scotland an early lead, and Jackson's replacement Dan Parks added three more points with a penalty which skimmed over the crossbar.}}
- There’s a benefit gala at the Boston Pops tonight, and... well, I’m trying to nail the flautist.'' - Brian Griffin in the TV series ''Family Guy
- (Crabb)
