whirl

[ hwurl, wurl ]

/ ʰwɜrl, wɜrl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR whirl ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

to turn around, spin, or rotate rapidly: The merry-go-round whirled noisily.

to turn about or aside quickly: He whirled and faced his pursuers.

to move, travel, or be carried rapidly along: She whirled along the freeway in her new car.

to feel as though spinning rapidly; reel as from dizziness: My head began to whirl.

verb (used with object)

to cause to turn around, spin, or rotate rapidly.

to send, drive, or carry in a circular or curving course.

to drive, send, or carry along with great or dizzying rapidity.

Obsolete. to hurl.

noun

the act of whirling; rapid rotation or gyration.

a whirling movement; quick turn or swing.

a short drive, run, walk, or the like; spin.

something that whirls; a whirling current or mass.

a rapid round of events, affairs, etc.: a whirl of meetings, conferences, and business lunches.

a state marked by dizziness or a dizzying succession of feelings, thoughts, etc.

an attempt or trial, especially one undertaken tentatively or experimentally: Even if you don't agree with my plan, won't you give it a whirl?

Machinery. whip(def 26).

Origin of whirl

1250–1300; Middle English whirlen < Old Norse hvirfla to whirl, akin to Old English hwyrflung turning, revolving, hwyrfel circuit; see whorl

SYNONYMS FOR whirl

1 gyrate, pirouette.

1, 5 revolve, twirl, wheel.

9 spin, revolution.

15 try, go, fling, whack.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR whirl ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM whirl

whirl·er, noun whirl·ing·ly, adverb out·whirl, verb (used with object) un·whirled, adjective

Words nearby whirl

whipstock, whiptail, whiptail wallaby, whipworm, whir, whirl, whirlabout, whirligig, whirligig beetle, whirling dervish, whirlpool

Example sentences from the Web for whirl

I never lifted a brush before, I never mixed a paint, so I gave it a whirl.

Dubya’s Portraits of Tony Blair and Vladimir Putin Are Just as Genius as You Hoped |Ann Binlot |April 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
A whirl of activity on and off the slopes, Kathy heads the local chapter of Disabled Sports, Eastern Sierra region.

Homefront Veterans: Skiing With Wounded Warriors |John Kael Weston |February 17, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Ted Widmer on the whirl of celebrity and policy that dance across the pages.

The Man with the President’s Ear, Arthur Schlesinger Jr. and JFK |Ted Widmer |October 27, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Sajed fearlessly slapped on the rollerblades to give them a whirl, and a skater was born.

If You Build It, They Will Skate |Maysoon Zayid |July 17, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

Berlusconi won his first whirl as prime minister on the same promise and immediately abolished the tax when he took office.

Prime Minister Monti Resigns: Will Silvio Berlusconi Rise Again? |Barbie Latza Nadeau |December 22, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
He bowed to their sweet nearness; he kissed them again and again, while the shade of the cedars seemed to whirl about him.

The Heritage of the Desert |Zane Grey
A whirl of dust met them, and they drew quickly back, his sleeve brushing against her shoulders.

The Halo |Bettina von Hutten
At the close one from each side selects a partner, and then, all having partners, they whirl round and round.

The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol II of II) |Alice Bertha Gomme
Occasionally, however, he will whirl and come back to the attack.

The Land of Footprints |Stewart Edward White
When Dorothy was with Mr. Harley she had been in a maze, a whirl.

The President |Alfred Henry Lewis

British Dictionary definitions for whirl

whirl

/ (wɜːl) /

verb

to spin, turn, or revolve or cause to spin, turn, or revolve

(intr) to turn around or away rapidly

(intr) to have a spinning sensation, as from dizziness, etc

to move or drive or be moved or driven at high speed

noun

the act or an instance of whirling; swift rotation or a rapid whirling movement

a condition of confusion or giddiness her accident left me in a whirl

a swift round, as of events, meetings, etc

a tumult; stir

informal a brief trip, dance, etc

give something a whirl informal to attempt or give a trial to something

Derived forms of whirl

whirler, noun whirling, adjective whirlingly, adverb

Word Origin for whirl

C13: from Old Norse hvirfla to turn about; related to Old High German wirbil whirlwind

Idioms and Phrases with whirl

whirl

see give something a whirl.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

whirl

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Origin of whirl

SYNONYMS FOR whirl

OTHER WORDS FROM whirl

Words nearby whirl

Example sentences from the Web for whirl

British Dictionary definitions for whirl

verb

noun

Derived forms of whirl

Word Origin for whirl

Idioms and Phrases with whirl

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

whirl

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Origin of whirl

SYNONYMS FOR whirl

OTHER WORDS FROM whirl

Words nearby whirl

Words related to whirl

Example sentences from the Web for whirl

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for whirl

verb

noun

Derived forms of whirl

Word Origin for whirl

Idioms and Phrases with whirl

British Dictionary definitions for whirl