spinning : Idioms & Phrases

• (Zoöl.), one of the glands which form the material for spinning the silk of silkworms and other larvæ.

Webster 1913

• formerly a common name for a house of correction in England, the women confined therein being employed in spinning.

Webster 1913

• noun an early spinning machine with multiple spindles
  

WordNet

• (Mach.), an engine or machine for spinning wool or cotton, by means of a large number of spindles revolving simultaneously.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), the red spider.

Webster 1913

• noun a small domestic spinning machine with a single spindle that is driven by hand or foot
  

WordNet

• a machine for spinning yarn or thread, in which a wheel drives a single spindle, and is itself driven by the hand, or by the foot acting on a treadle.

Webster 1913