[syn: dragonfly, darning needle, devil's darning needle, sewing needle, snake feeder, snake doctor, mosquito hawk, skeeter hawk]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Darn \Darn\ (d[aum]rn), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Darned
(d[aum]rnd); p. pr. & vb. n. Darning.] [OE. derne, prob. of
Celtic origin; cf. W. darnio to piece, break in pieces, W. &
Arm. to E. tear. Cf. Tear, v. t.]
To mend as a rent or hole, with interlacing stitches of yarn
or thread by means of a needle; to sew together with yarn or
thread.
[1913 Webster]
He spent every day ten hours in his closet, in darning
his stockings. --Swift.
[1913 Webster]
Darning last. See under Last.
Darning needle.
(a) A long, strong needle for mending holes or rents,
especially in stockings.
(b) (Zool.) Any species of dragon fly, having a long,
cylindrical body, resembling a needle. These flies are
harmless and without stings.
Note: [In this sense, usually written with a hyphen.] Called
also devil's darning-needle.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
darning needle
n 1: a long needle with an eye large enough for heavy darning or
embroidery thread [syn: darning needle, embroidery
needle]
2: slender-bodied non-stinging insect having iridescent wings
that are outspread at rest; adults and nymphs feed on
mosquitoes etc. [syn: dragonfly, darning needle, devil's
darning needle, sewing needle, snake feeder, snake
doctor, mosquito hawk, skeeter hawk]