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Glite Dictionary
needle bar

needle bar

6.9
A metal rod in a sewing machine that holds and moves the needle up and down
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : barra de aguja
  • The needle bar must be properly aligned to prevent the machine from skipping stitches.

Examples

  • She replaced the broken needle bar in her vintage sewing machine.

  • If the needle bar is bent, it can cause serious sewing problems.

  • The needle bar is essential for sewing.

  • Can you adjust the needle bar height?

  • If the needle bar is bent, it can cause serious sewing problems.

  • She replaced the broken needle bar in her vintage sewing machine.

  • The needle bar must be properly aligned to prevent the machine from skipping stitches.

Surface Forms

needle bar singular
needle bars plural

Morphology

needle + bar

This is a straightforward noun–noun compound whose meaning ('the bar associated with the needle that holds and moves it') is directly derivable from 'needle' (the sewing implement) + 'bar' (a long rigid piece). The compositional pattern is common and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the general technical sense even if they lack specialized sewing knowledge.

Etymology

Needle bar comes from the simple picture of a needle attached to a long bar that moves up and down in a sewing machine. So it means the 'part of a sewing machine' that holds and moves the needle.