aiguille

Borrowed from French aiguille (“needle”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈeɪ.ɡwiː/, /ˈeɪ.ɡwɪl/

aiguille (plural aiguilles)

1. A needle-shaped peak. [from 19th c.]
   • 1818, Mary Shelley, Frankenstein:

     Mont Blanc, the supreme and magnificent Mont Blanc, raised itself from the surrounding aiguilles, and its tremendous dome overlooked the valley.

2. An instrument for boring holes, used in blasting.

• aglet

• (obsolete) aguille
• (nonstandard) aigüille, aiguïlle

From Old French aguille, from Vulgar Latin *acūcla < *acūcula, diminutive of Latin acus (“needle”). Perhaps influenced phonetically by aiguiser.

• Cognate with Italian agucchia, Portuguese agulha, Spanish aguja

• IPA^(key): /e.ɡɥij/, /ɛ.ɡɥij/

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aiguille f (plural aiguilles)

1. (botany, costumery, medicine) needle
2. needle (of compass); hand (of watch); spire (of church)
3. (railway) point (UK), switch (US)

• aiguille à tricoter
• aiguiller
• aiguillette, aiglet
• de fil en aiguille ("one thing leading to another")

• aigu
• aiguillon
• aiguiser

• épingle f

aiguille

1. first-person singular present indicative of aiguiller
2. third-person singular present indicative of aiguiller
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of aiguiller
4. first-person singular present subjunctive of aiguiller
5. second-person singular imperative of aiguiller

• “aiguille” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).