spindle
/ˈspɪndl/ (bre, ipa) · [spˈɪndəl] /ˈspɪndl/ (ame, ipa) · [spˈɪndəl] /ˈspin-dᵊl/ (ame, mw)
spindle — noun
- spindlesingular
- spindlesplural
1. A long, thin rod or shaft in a machine that rotates or has material wound around
A long, thin rod or shaft in a machine that rotates or has material wound around it. In hand spinning, the rod that twists fibres such as wool into thread or yarn.
Reuben wound the freshly spun wool onto the wooden spindle of his grandmother's spinning wheel.
spindle + spinning wheel — traditional spinning context
The lathe's spindle rotates at high speed to shape the metal rod evenly.
Yuna checked the spindle on the textile machine before threading the next batch of yarn.
A broken spindle stopped the assembly line until the repair crew arrived.
The thread snapped when Baraka pulled too hard on the spindle while spinning wool.
用法筆記
This sense covers both the hand-spinning tool (a tapered wooden rod) and the rotating shaft in industrial machinery. Context makes the meaning clear.
常見錯誤
2. A sharp upright pin attached to a flat base, used in offices to hold documents t
A sharp upright pin attached to a flat base, used in offices to hold documents temporarily by pushing them onto the spike before they are filed.
The old office still used a spindle to keep invoices arranged in order before filing.
Ritu carefully pushed the signed delivery slip onto the metal spindle on the counter.
push onto the spindle — typical filing action
In the mail room, a brass spindle held dozens of receipts from the week.
Hoa removed the stack of forms from the spindle and sorted them alphabetically.
- spike
a more general word for a sharp pointed object; 'spindle' specifically refers to the office filing device
- file spike
a synonym that explicitly names its function
用法筆記
These office spikes are now rare; the phrase 'do not fold, spindle, or mutilate' on old punched-card forms is a historical reference many learners encounter in American English texts.
常見錯誤
3. A turned piece of wood shaped on a lathe into a decorative pillar, commonly foun
A turned piece of wood shaped on a lathe into a decorative pillar, commonly found as a baluster in stair railings, a chair leg, or similar woodwork.
Each baluster on the staircase was a hand-carved spindle shaped from solid oak.
baluster + staircase — architectural use
Sofia bought four chair legs, each a turned spindle with elegant ring patterns.
The cabinetmaker crafted a set of decorative spindles for the porch railing.
Samir replaced the plain banister with one that had slender mahogany spindles.
用法筆記
In woodworking, 'spindle' refers to any turned decorative element. The shape is typically produced on a lathe, so the word implies rounded, symmetrical patterns.
常見錯誤
4. A network of microscopic protein fibers in a cell that forms during division and
A network of microscopic protein fibers in a cell that forms during division and pulls the copied chromosomes to opposite ends so that each new cell receives the correct set.
During mitosis, the spindle fibers pull the duplicated chromosomes toward opposite ends of the cell.
spindle fibers + mitosis — cell division context
Yara studied how certain drugs disrupt the mitotic spindle and prevent cancer cells from dividing.
mitotic spindle — medical research context
Under the microscope, Eleni saw the spindle between the two poles of the dividing cell.
In her biology notebook, Trang traced spindle fibres linking each chromosome pair to both poles.
- mitotic spindle
the full technical term for the spindle during mitosis
- spindle fibers
emphasises the fibrous structure
用法筆記
This is a technical biology term. It is almost always used with 'spindle fibers' or 'mitotic spindle' and appears in formal scientific or medical writing.