whir
verb (used without object)
to go, fly, revolve, or otherwise move quickly with a humming or buzzing sound.
had whirred
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past perfectof whir.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Suddenly, computers that had whirred quietly for years started making the strangest sounds.
From Time Magazine Archive
Mountains of unsorted checks piled up in banks where computers that can process 200,000 checks hourly had whirred to a halt.
From Time Magazine Archive
The electric clock on the wall had whirred, for a very long time, and Kingshaw had just lain there.
From "I'm the King of the Castle" by Susan Hill
The gramophone had whirred and grunted into "Sidi Brahim."
From Saint's Progress by John Galsworthy
The partridge coveys had whirred up noisily in full view of the passing woodsman, and craned their necks to watch him from the near-by branches.
From The House in the Water A Book of Animal Stories by Charles Livingston Bull
