Link Centre Dictionary

spindle

UK/ˈspɪndəl/ US/ˈspɪndʌl/ rare

noun

1.

(biology) tiny fibers that are seen in cell division; the fibers radiate from two poles and meet at the equator in the middle

  • “chromosomes are distributed by spindles in mitosis and meiosis”
2.

any of various rotating shafts that serve as axes for larger rotating parts

Synonyms
3.

a stick or pin used to twist the yarn in spinning

Origin

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.

Phrases

  • central spindle
  • Japanese spindle
  • mitotic spindle
  • sleep spindle
  • spindle cell
  • spindle diagram
  • spindle neuron
  • spindle poison

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Parts

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.