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.
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}.
It has begun to spindle into overintellectuality.
--Lowell.