Eye of a needle

The bottleneck is usually oblong- oval, sometimes circular passage opening at the beginning of a sewing machine needle or the end of a hand sewing needle.

Use

It is used to attach a thread to the sewing needle during sewing. Passing the thread through the eye of the needle is referred to as threading. To facilitate this, there are so-called Einfädelhilfen, one provided with a thin wire, a little more than thumb-sized tool. Due to the stability of thin wire in the form of a closed, oval loop makes this better lead through the eye. The einzufädelnde thread is then inserted through the loop and pulled back the threading the thread through the eye. What remains in the eye of the needle, the thread. Modern household sewing machines can thread the needle independently in the eye of the needle.

The origin of the word is attributed to the word ear.

Figurative meaning

In a figurative sense, one speaks of a bottleneck when a bottleneck is meant, for example in traffic, especially if have many vehicles pass in a narrow place, so that a jam is hard to avoid. In a large city or castle gate the bottleneck is a small, separate door for pedestrian traffic.

From the parable of Jesus comes from the eye of a needle: For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Luke 18.25.