Machines for turning fiber into thread or yarn, in which the formation of the thread is performed by the help of a wheel worked either by a hand or foot pedal that spins the thread onto a single spindle. Said to have been invented in India, they were introduced into Europe via the Middle East in the Medieval period, and were in common use there and in North America after colonization into the 18th century. For spinning machines developed in the 18th century having more than one spindle, use "spinning jennies."
