'needlelike' originates from the English elements 'needle' and the suffix '-like'; 'needle' comes from Old English 'nædl' meaning 'a small pointed implement' and '-like' (from Old English 'lic') meant 'having the form of'.

'needle' developed from Old English 'nædl', from Proto-Germanic '*næþlō', and '-like' evolved from Old English 'lic' into the modern English suffix '-like', forming the compound 'needlelike' in later Middle or Modern English.

Initially, the components meant 'a small pointed implement' + 'having the form of'; together they have long been used to mean 'having the shape or qualities of a needle', a meaning that has largely remained stable.