spinner

American  

[spin-er] / ˈspɪn ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that spins.

2. Angling. a lure, as a spoon bait, that revolves in the water in trolling and casting.

3. Also called spinner play.  Football. a play in which the player carrying the ball twirls about, to deceive the other team as to where the player intends to hit the line.

4. Aeronautics. a streamlined fairing over a propeller hub.

5. British Informal. nightjar.

6. Slang. a disc jockey.

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spinner British  

/ ˈspɪnə /

noun

1. a person or thing that spins

2. informal a spin doctor

3. cricket

   1. a ball that is bowled with a spinning motion

   2. a bowler who specializes in bowling such balls

4. a streamlined fairing that fits over and revolves with the hub of an aircraft propeller

5. a fishing lure with a fin or wing that revolves when drawn through the water

6. an angler's name for the mature adult form (imago) of various flies, especially the mayflies Compare dun 2

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Other Word Forms

• underspinner noun

Etymology

Origin of spinner

First recorded in 1175–1225, spinner is from the Middle English word spinnere. See spin, -er ¹

Example Sentences

That spinner of children's nightmares and curer of pains in the belly?

From Literature

Seifert hammered back-to-back sixes off Mohammad Nabi - bringing up his half-century in the process - only to fall a couple of deliveries later to the experienced spinner when he holed out to square leg.

From BBC

Scotland spinner Mark Watt said Friday they were confident of proving they belong at the T20 World Cup, despite only being an 11th-hour replacement for Bangladesh.

From Barron's

I want to pick a spinner and I want that man to be Varun Chakaravarthy but I'm not sure he will play all the games.

From BBC

Outplayed with bat and ball, they were strangled by Pakistan's spinners.

From Barron's

Related Words

• gyroscope