n. [ AS. spinal, fr. spinnan to spin; akin to D. spil, G. spille, spindel, OHG. spinnala. √170. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A slender rod or pin on which anything turns; an axis; as, the spindle of a vane. Specifically: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

(a) (Mach.) 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) (Mach.) The vertical rod on which the runner of a grinding mill turns. [ 1913 Webster ]

(c) (Founding) A shaft or pipe on which a core of sand is formed. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The fusee of a watch. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A long and slender stalk resembling a spindle. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A yarn measure containing, in cotton yarn, 15, 120 yards; in linen yarn, 14, 400 yards. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Geom.) A solid generated by the revolution of a curved line about its base or double ordinate or chord. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Zool.) (a) Any marine univalve shell of the genus Rostellaria; -- called also spindle stromb. (b) Any marine gastropod of the genus Fusus. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. (Zool.) 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 Eunymus Europaeus was used for spindles and skewers. See Prickwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Spindled p. pr. & vb. n. Spindling ] To shoot or grow into a long, slender stalk or body; to become disproportionately tall and slender. [ 1913 Webster ]

It has begun to spindle into overintellectuality. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having long, slender legs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A spindleshanks. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having long, slender legs. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A person with slender shanks, or legs; -- used humorously or in contempt. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Having the shape of a spindle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) Thickest in the middle, and tapering to both ends; fusiform; -- applied chiefly to roots. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The pintail duck. [ Local, U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The larva of a noctuid moth (Achatodes zeae) which feeds inside the stalks of corn (maize), sometimes causing much damage. It is smooth, with a black head and tail and a row of black dots across each segment. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Long and slender, or disproportionately tall and slender; as, a spindling tree; a spindling boy.
Syn. -- spindly. [ 1913 Webster ]