needlewoman

noun

nee·​dle·​wom·​an ˈnē-dᵊl-ˌwu̇-mən How to pronounce needlewoman (audio)
: a woman who does needlework
especially : seamstress

Examples of needlewoman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web One hundred and fifty years later, young Isobel, a gifted needlewoman, dreams of her own escape from the limited options open to women; her greatest desire is to own a dressmaking shop. Heller McAlpin, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Oct. 2022 Set in the 1930s, Chevalier’s new novel follows a woman whose fiancé died in World War I and who finds a sense of community among the guild of needlewomen embroidering kneelers for the pews at one of Britain’s great cathedrals. New York Times, 1 Oct. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'needlewoman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1535, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of needlewoman was in 1535

Dictionary Entries Near needlewoman

Cite this Entry

“Needlewoman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/needlewoman. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on needlewoman

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!