darning needle
- noun
- /ˈdɑrnɪŋ ˈnidəl/
- Archaic
:
aguja de dardo
- We watched a darning needle hover over the pond, its wings catching the sunlight.
Examples
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A darning needle darted swiftly through the air, hunting for mosquitoes near the water's edge.
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I spotted a darning needle hovering above the pond.
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Children used to believe that a darning needle could sew their lips shut if they told lies.
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Look at that shiny darning needle flying by!
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We watched a darning needle hover over the pond, its wings catching the sunlight.
-
A darning needle darted swiftly through the air, hunting for mosquitoes near the water's edge.
-
Look at that shiny darning needle flying by!
Synonyms
15
1.4
A fast insect with a long thin body and two pairs of clear wings held out when resting
1
6.8
A large slender insect with shiny wings that eats mosquitoes
A slender flying insect with long body and clear wings often found near water
A long thin insect with clear wings that eats mosquitoes near water
A long, thin insect with bright, shiny wings that eats mosquitoes
A long thin insect with bright wings that eats mosquitoes and does not sting
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from 'darning' (mending fabric) + 'needle' (a sewing implement): a needle used for darning. This is a straightforward noun–noun compound indicating purpose, a common and cross-linguistically transparent pattern that a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer.
Etymology
Darning needle was once a common name for the insect we now call a 'dragonfly'. People thought the insect's long, thin body and quick, sewing-like flight looked like a needle moving through the air, so the name came to mean that insect.