spindle
/ˈspɪndəl/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.10 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A rod used for spinning and then winding 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.
noun
A rotary axis of a machine tool or power tool.
noun
The axle of a bottom bracket.
noun
Certain species within the genus Euonymus, historically used to manufacture spindles for wool spinning.
Example Sentences
- "Anna Pavlovna’s soirée was now in full swing. On all sides the spindles were humming away non-stop."
- "the spindle of a vane"
- "; the top one is acted on by the spindle and disc d, moved by the lever e;"
- "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."
- "Check ball bearings for pitting, cracks, disorderly conduct; cups and cones for uneven wear; spindle for straightness."
- "check spindle"
Etymology
From Middle English spyndel, spindle, spyndylle, from Old English spindle, spindel, alteration of earlier spinel, spinil, spinl (“spindle”), from Proto-West Germanic *spinnilu (“spindle”), equivalent to spin + -le. Cognate with Scots spindil, spinnell (“spindle”), Dutch spindel ("spindle"; < Middle Dutch spille, spinle), German Spindel (“spindle”), Danish spindel (“spindle”), Swedish spindel (“spindle”). The dragonfly sense (noun sense 14) is a calque of Swedish slända (dragonfly/spindle); this word was introduced by New Sweden settlers.