'needlework' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'nǣdlwyrċ,' where 'nǣdl' meant 'needle' and 'wyrċ' meant 'work.'

'nǣdlwyrċ' transformed into the Middle English word 'nedlewerk,' and eventually became the modern English word 'needlework.'

Initially, it meant 'work done with a needle,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.