A thimble-like ring with a groove worn on the finger to push a needle when sewing.
From Middle English 'dital,' derived from Old English 'þȳðel' (thimble), with the 'd' coming from 'digit' or 'finger' references in Romance languages; the tool's name evolved from its finger-worn design.
Before modern thimbles existed, sewers wore ditals made from bone, leather, or metal rings—the groove was specifically designed to grip the needle's eye without tearing fabric!
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