Category:Spindle

Spin"dle, n. Etym: [as. spinal, fr. spinnan to spin; akin to d. spil, G. spille, spindel, ohg. spinnala. sq. root170. See spin.]

1. The long, round, slender rod or pin in spinning wheels by which The thread is twisted, and on which, when twisted, it is wound; also, The pin on which the bobbin is held in a spinning machine, or in the Shuttle of a loom.

2. A slender rod or pin on which anything turns; an axis; as, the Spindle of a vane. Specifically: --(a) (mach.)

Defn: the shaft, mandrel, or arbor, in a machine tool, as a lathe or Drilling machine, etc., which causes the work to revolve, or carries A tool or center, etc. (b) (mach.) The vertical rod on which the runner of a grinding mill Turns. (c) (founding) a shaft or pipe on which a core of sand is formed.

3. The fusee of a watch.

4. A long and slender stalk resembling a spindle.

5. A yarn measure containing, in cotton yarn, 15,120 yards; in linen Yarn, 14,400 yards.

6. (geom.)

Defn: a solid generated by the revolution of a curved line about its Base or double ordinate or chord.

7. (zoöl.) (a) any marine univalve shell of the genus rostellaria; -- called Also spindle stromb. (b) any marine gastropod of the genus fusus. Dead spindle (mach.), a Spindle in a machine tool that does not revolve; the spindle of the Tailstock of a lathe. -- live spindle (mach.), the revolving spindle of a machine tool; The spindle of the headstock of a turning lathe. -- spindle shell. (zoöl.) See spindle, 7. above. -- spindle side, the female side in descent; in the female line; Opposed to spear side. Ld. Lytton. [r.] "king lycaon, grandson, by The spindle side, of oceanus." Lowell. -- spindle tree (bot.), any shrub or tree of the genus eunymus. The Wood of e. Europæus was used for spindles and skewers. See prickwood.

Spindle Spin"dle, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Spindled; p. pr. & vb. n. Spindling.]

Defn: to shoot or grow into a long, slender stalk or body; to become Disproportionately tall and slender. It has begun to spindle into overintellectuality. Lowell.