
needle
词源
源自古英语nǣdl,源自原始日耳曼语*nēdlą,与荷兰语naald、德语Nadel同源。
noun
❶ 一种细长尖锐的工具,通常用于缝纫或医疗注射,由金属制成,一端有孔可穿线。
“She threaded the needle to sew the button back on.”
(她穿针引线,把纽扣重新缝上。)
“The doctor used a sterile needle for the injection.”
(医生使用无菌针头进行注射。)
❶ 比喻令人感到不适或刺激的事物,常用来形容言语或行为的尖锐。
“There was a needle of sarcasm in his voice.”
(他话里带着讽刺的锋芒。)
“Her comments were like needles poking at my confidence.”
(她的评论像针一样刺痛我的信心。)
verb
❶ 用言语或行为故意刺激或激怒某人,通常带有挑衅意味。
“He kept needling his brother about the lost game.”
(他不断用输掉比赛的事刺激他弟弟。)
“Stop needling me with your sarcastic remarks!”
(别再用你那些讽刺的话来刺激我了!)
常见短语
like looking for a needle in a haystack — 形容寻找某物极其困难,就像在干草堆里找一根针,比喻大海捞针。
“Finding my earring in this messy room is like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
(在这个乱糟糟的房间里找我的耳环简直是大海捞针。)
needle in a haystack — 指极难找到的东西或人,强调其隐蔽性或稀少性。
“The missing document was a needle in a haystack among thousands of files.”
(那份丢失的文件在成千上万份档案中如同大海捞针。)