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Needle vs Thread - What's the difference?

needle | thread |

In transitive terms the difference between needle and thread

is that needle is to form in the shape of a needle while thread is to pass (through a narrow constriction or around a series of obstacles).

As nouns the difference between needle and thread

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 thread is a long, thin and flexible form of material, generally with a round cross-section, used in sewing, weaving or in the construction of string.

As verbs the difference between needle and thread

is that needle is to pierce with a needle, especially for sewing or acupuncture while thread is to put thread through.

needle

English

(wikipedia needle)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A long, thin, sharp implement usually for piercing such as sewing, or knitting, acupuncture, tattooing, body piercing, medical injections etc.
    • The seamstress threaded the needle to sew on a button.
  • 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 .
    • The needle on the fuel gauge pointed to empty.
  • A sensor for playing phonograph records, a phonograph stylus.
    • Ziggy bought some diamond needles for his hi-fi phonograph.
  • A long, pointed leaf found on some conifers.
  • * 1994 , , ch. 2:
    • 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.
  • (informal, usually preceded by the) The death penalty carried out by lethal injection.

    • 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 * needlewise

    See also

    * acerate * eye * pin

    Verb

    (needl)
  • To pierce with a needle, especially for sewing or acupuncture.
  • * 1892 , H. Lindo Ferguson, "Operation on Microphthamlmic Eyes", Ophthalmic Review? , volume 11, page 48
    • 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.
  • * 2000 , Felix Mann, Reinventing Acupuncture , page 109
    • 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.
  • To tease in order to provoke; to poke fun at.
    • Billy needled his sister incessantly about her pimples.
  • * 1984 , Leopold Caligor, Philip M. Bromberg, & James D. Meltzer, Clinical Perspectives on the Supervision of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy? , page 14
    • 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 form in the shape of a needle.
    • to needle crystals

    Synonyms

    * (to tease) goad, tease

    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words

    thread

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A long, thin and flexible form of material, generally with a round cross-section, used in sewing, weaving or in the construction of string.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Michael Arlen), title= “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days, chapter=Ep./1/2
    • , passage=He walked. To the corner of Hamilton Place and Picadilly, and there stayed for a while, for it is a romantic station by night. The vague and careless rain looked like threads of gossamer silver passing across the light of the arc-lamps.}}
  • A theme or idea.
  • A screw thread.
  • A sequence of connections.
  • *
  • *
  • The line midway between the banks of a stream.
  • (label) A unit of execution, lighter in weight than a process, generally expected to share memory and other resources with other threads executing concurrently.
  • (label) A series of messages, generally grouped by subject, all but the first replies to previous messages in the thread.
  • A filament, as of a flower, or of any fibrous substance, as of bark.
  • (label) Composition; quality; fineness.
  • * (Ben Jonson) (1572-1637)
    • A neat courtier, / Of a most elegant thread .

    Synonyms

    * (theme) topic

    Derived terms

    * hang by a thread * quadruple thread * screw thread * thread count * thread necromancy * thread pool * threadbare * threader * thready

    Verb

  • To put thread through.
    • thread a needle
  • To pass (through a narrow constriction or around a series of obstacles).
    • I think I can thread my way through here, but it’s going to be tight.
  • * 2013 , Ben Smith, "[http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24503988]", BBC Sport , 19 October 2013:
    • Picking the ball up in his own half, Januzaj threaded a 40-yard pass into the path of Rooney to slice Southampton open in the blink of an eye.
  • To screw on, to fit the s of a nut on a bolt

    • Derived terms

    * threaded (as adjective) * multithreaded

    Anagrams

    * * *

    See also

    (sewing needle) ----