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needle-shaped

needle-shaped

4.6
Long, thin, and pointed like a sewing pin
  • adjective
  • /ˈnidəl-ʃeɪpt/
translation icon : en forma de aguja
  • The pine tree has needle-shaped leaves that stay green throughout the winter.

Examples

  • Spinach, Kiwi fruit, pineapple, fuchsia and rhubarb all produce microscopic needle shaped crystals called raphides.

  • these conifers have needle shaped leaves virtually inedible so the forest supports very little animal life

  • In spring, the garden is filled with plants that have needle-shaped leaves, adding texture to the landscape.

  • The artist used a needle-shaped brush to create fine lines in the painting.

Synonyms

needlelike
vsneedle-shaped
1 4.9

Shaped like a long thin sharp needle

describes the overall long, narrow, pointed shape not just the tip
acerate
vsneedle-shaped
  • Specialized
9.9

Having narrow, long, pointed leaves or parts that look like needles

is the general descriptive term for similar narrow pointed shapes
acicular
vsneedle-shaped
  • Specialized
9.9

Long, very thin, and pointed like a needle

is a broad descriptor applying to any slender pointed object
acerose
vsneedle-shaped
  • Specialized
9.9

A long narrow pointed leaf like a needle on pine trees

is not limited to conifers and applies across various slender objects
aciculate
vsneedle-shaped
  • Specialized
9.9

Thin and pointed like a needle, as in some leaves or crystals

focuses on the whole long narrow shape rather than having pointed parts
needly
vsneedle-shaped
  • Archaic
8.1

Thin and pointed like a needle

is the clearer, more precise descriptive term for slender pointed objects

How Narrow

threadlike
1 4.2
needle-shaped
4.6
thin
420 1.0

Surface Forms

needle-shaped positive

Morphology

needle-shaped = needle + shaped (transparent) = needle + shape + ed

The compound is built transparently from 'needle' and 'shaped', and the overall meaning closely matches a shape resembling a needle.

Etymology

Needle-shaped comes from needle, the familiar sewing tool that is long, thin and pointed, and the ending -shaped, which means 'in the shape of'. So something needle-shaped is 'like a needle' — narrow, long and pointed.