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Niggle vs Needle - What's the difference?

niggle | needle |

As nouns the difference between niggle and needle

is that niggle is a minor complaint or problem while needle is a long, thin, sharp implement usually for piercing such as sewing, or knitting, acupuncture, tattooing, body piercing, medical injections etc.

As verbs the difference between niggle and needle

is that niggle is to trifle with; to deceive; to mock while needle is to pierce with a needle, especially for sewing or acupuncture.

niggle

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A minor complaint or problem.
  • * 2012 , The Guardian, London 2012: Christian Taylor aims high as Phillips Idowu stays away , by Anna Kessel
    • The Olympic medal contender's back problem has been described as a "niggle " by the head coach, Charles van Commenee, but Porter's friend and former team-mate Danielle Carruthers revealed that the injury is playing on the Briton's mind.
  • (obsolete) Small, cramped handwriting.

    • Verb

    (niggl)
  • To trifle with; to deceive; to mock.
    • (Beaumont and Fletcher)
  • To dwell too much on minor points.
  • To fidget, fiddle, be restless.

    • Derived terms

    * niggly

    Anagrams

    *

    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