Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A sharply pointed mountain peak, especially one of several on a larger massif.
  • noun A needle-shaped drill for boring holes in rock or masonry.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A slender form of drill used for boring or drilling a blast-hole in rock.
  • noun A priming-wire or blasting-needle.
  • noun The name given near Mont Blanc to the sharper peaks or clusters of needle-like rock-masses, ordinarily seen wherever the slaty crystalline rocks occur, forming a more or less considerable part of a mountain range, but most strikingly near Chamonix. Hence applied, though rarely, to similar sharply pointed peaks elsewhere.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A needle-shaped peak.
  • noun An instrument for boring holes, used in blasting.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A needle-shaped peak.
  • noun An instrument for boring holes, used in blasting.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, needle, from Old French; see aglet.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

French aiguille ("needle").

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Examples

  • At any rate, I wrote to him yesterday, on chance, to ask if he had not in his possession a little old book bearing on its title - page the word aiguille; and I am awaiting his reply.

    The Hollow Needle; Further adventures of Arsene Lupin Maurice Leblanc 1902

  • The word aiguille does not point to the castle on the Creuse.

    The Hollow Needle; Further adventures of Arsene Lupin Maurice Leblanc 1902

  • Also spectacular are the towering "aiguille" (needle) peaks that are such a memorable feature of the Chamonix scenery.

    icCheshireOnline 2009

  • My son, Max, who was recently in a school play ... une aiguille (ay-gwee) noun, feminine

    une aiguille - French Word-A-Day 2005

  • Expressions: de fil en aiguille = "from thread to needle," one thing leading to another une petite/grande aiguille = hour/minute hand (of clock) discuter sur des pointes d'aiguilles = to split hairs passer par le trou d'une aiguille = to accomplish something difficult faire passer quelqu'un par le trou d'une aiguille = to intimidate someone chercher une aiguille dans une botte de foin = to look for a needle in a haystack

    une aiguille - French Word-A-Day 2005

  • Also une aiguille de glace = an icicle une aiguille de pin = a pine needle

    Words in a French Life Kristin Espinasse 2007

  • Squeezing my right eye shut, I began to thread the aiguille.

    Words in a French Life Kristin Espinasse 2007

  • My son, Max, who was recently in a school play ... une aiguille (ay-gwee) noun, feminine

    French Word-A-Day: 2005

  • Expressions de fil en aiguille = from thread to needle one thing leading to another

    Words in a French Life Kristin Espinasse 2007

  • Hear today's word: Download aiguille. wav (Special thanks to Jean-Marc!)

    French Word-A-Day: 2005

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