spindling: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2 - Extremely rareLiterary, technical (textiles), dated
Quick answer
What does “spindling” mean?
Growing or developing in a tall, thin, and often weak or frail manner.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Growing or developing in a tall, thin, and often weak or frail manner.
1. The act of becoming or making something tall, thin, and weak. 2. In manufacturing, the operation of turning fibers into thread on a spindle.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The term is equally rare in both varieties.
Connotations
Equally negative for describing growth (weak, feeble). The textile sense is historical/technical in both.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. Slightly more likely to be encountered in British gardening or literary texts describing plants.
Grammar
How to Use “spindling” in a Sentence
[Subject] + be + spindling[Subject] + grow + spindlingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “spindling” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The seedlings were spindling in the poor soil, desperately reaching for light.
- Without proper support, the bean plants began spindling upwards.
American English
- The neglected sapling was spindling in the dense shade.
- The cotton fibers were spindling on the old machine.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Rare, possibly in botany or historical textile studies.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Would be considered a sophisticated or dated word.
Technical
Historical term for the process in a spinning mill where fibers are drawn out and twisted on a spindle.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “spindling”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “spindling”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “spindling”
- Using it as a common synonym for 'thin' or 'tall' without the connotation of weakness. Incorrectly using it as a noun (e.g., 'He is a spindling').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is an extremely rare word, mostly found in literary or specialised historical contexts.
'Spindly' is the common adjective. 'Spindling' is rarer and often functions as a participial adjective or a verbal noun, giving a sense of the process of becoming spindly.
Yes, but it is a dated or literary usage, implying a tall, thin, and physically weak appearance, often of a growing adolescent.
Almost never. Its core meaning carries a negative connotation of weak, unsustainable growth. The technical textile sense is neutral but obsolete.
Growing or developing in a tall, thin, and often weak or frail manner.
Spindling is usually literary, technical (textiles), dated in register.
Spindling: in British English it is pronounced /ˈspɪndlɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈspɪndlɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[none]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a SPINdle (a thin rod for spinning thread) with '-ling' (a diminutive suffix, often implying weakness). A 'spindling' thing is as thin and weak as a little spindle.
Conceptual Metaphor
WEAKNESS IS LACK OF SUBSTANCE / HEALTHY GROWTH IS ROBUST.
Practice
Quiz
In which context might 'spindling' be used in a neutral or technical sense?