\Spin"dle\, n. [AS. spinal, fr. spinnan to spin; akin to
D. spil, G. spille, spindel, OHG. spinnala. [root]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.
2. A slender rod or pin on which anything turns; an axis; as,
   the spindle of a vane. Specifically:
   (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.
   (b) (Mach.) The vertical rod on which the runner of a
       grinding mill turns.
   (c) (Founding) A shaft or pipe on which a core of sand is
       formed.
3. The fusee of a watch.
4. A long and slender stalk resembling a spindle.
5. A yarn measure containing, in cotton yarn, 15,120 yards;
   in linen yarn, 14,400 yards.
6. (Geom.) A solid generated by the revolution of a curved
   line about its base or double ordinate or chord.
7. (Zo["o]l.)
   (a) Any marine univalve shell of the genus {Rostellaria};
       -- called also {spindle stromb}.
   (b) Any marine gastropod of the genus {Fusus}.
{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}. (Zo["o]l.) 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 {E. Europ[ae]us} was used for
   spindles and skewers. See {Prickwood}.

\Spin"dle\, 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.
      It has begun to spindle into overintellectuality.
                                               --Lowell.