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Webster 1913 Edition

Spindle

Spin′dle

,
Noun.
[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.
2.
A slender rod or pin on which anything turns; an axis;
as, the
spindle
of a vane
.
Specifically: –
(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.
(b)
(Mach.)
The vertical rod on which the runner of a grinding mill turns.
(c)
(Founding)
A shaft or pipe on which a core of sand is formed.
3.
The fusee of a watch.
4.
A long and slender stalk resembling a spindle.
5.
A yarn measure containing, in cotton yarn, 15,120 yards; in linen yarn, 14,400 yards.
6.
(Geom.)
A solid generated by the revolution of a curved line about its base or double ordinate or chord.
7.
(Zool.)
(a)
Any marine univalve shell of the genus
Rostellaria
; – called also
spindle stromb
.
(b)
Any marine gastropod of the genus
Fusus
.
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
.

Spin′dle

,
Verb.
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.
It has begun to
spindle
into overintellectuality.
Lowell.

Webster 1828 Edition

Spindle

SPIN'DLE

,
Adj.
[See Spin.]
1.
The pin used in spinning wheels for twisting the thread, and on which the thread when twisted, is wound.
2.
A slender pointed rod or pin on which any thing turn; as the spindle of a vane.
3.
The fusee of a watch.
4.
A long slender stalk.
5.
The lower end of a capstan, shod with iron; the pivot.

SPIN'DLE

,
Verb.
I.
To shoot or grow in a long slender stalk or body.

Definition 2024

spindle

spindle

English

Alternative forms

  • spinnel (dialectal)

Noun

spindle ‎(plural spindles)

  1. (spinning) A rod used for spinning and then winding natural fibres (especially wool), usually consisting of a shaft and a circular whorl positioned at either the upper or lower end of the shaft when suspended vertically from the forming thread.
  2. A rod which turns, or on which something turns.
    the spindle of a vane
    • 2012 March 1, Henry Petroski, “Opening Doors”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 112-3:
      A doorknob of whatever roundish shape is effectively a continuum of levers, with the axis of the latching mechanism—known as the spindle—being the fulcrum about which the turning takes place.
  3. A rotary axis of a machine tool or power tool.
  4. Certain of the species of the genus Euonymus, originally used for making the spindles used for spinning wool.
  5. An upright spike for holding paper documents by skewering.
  6. The fusee of a watch.
  7. A long and slender stalk resembling a spindle.
  8. A yarn measure containing, in cotton yarn, 15,120 yards; in linen yarn, 14,400 yards.
  9. (geometry) A solid generated by the revolution of a curved line about its base or double ordinate or chord.
  10. Any marine univalve shell of the subsection Justicia subsect. Rostellaria (formerly genus Rostellaria; a spindle stromb.
  11. Any marine gastropod of the genus Fusus.
  12. (coastal New Jersey) a dragonfly

Derived terms

  • spindle poison
  • spindle toxin

Synonyms

Hypernyms

  • (a tree from the Euonymus genus): euonymus

Translations

Verb

spindle ‎(third-person singular simple present spindles, present participle spindling, simple past and past participle spindled)

  1. To make into a long tapered shape.
  2. To impale on a device for holding paper documents.
    Do not fold, spindle or mutilate this document.

Anagrams

Etymology

From Middle English spindle, spyndel, spyndylle, from Old English spindle, spindel, alteration of earlier spinel, spinil, spinl ‎(“spindle”), from Proto-Germanic *spinnilō ‎(“spindle”), equivalent to spin +‎ -le. Cognate with Scots spindil, spinnell ‎(“spindle”), Dutch spil ("spindle"; < Middle Dutch spille, spinle), German Spindel ‎(“spindle”), Danish spindel ‎(“spindle”), Swedish spindel ‎(“spindle”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈspɪndəl/
  • Hyphenation: spin‧dle
  • Rhymes: -ɪndəl

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