pinwheeling

American  

[pin-hwee-ling, -wee-] / ˈpɪnˌʰwi lɪŋ, -ˌwi- /

noun

U.S. Nautical.

1. the act of turning a multiple-screw ship within a minimum radius by having some engines going forward and others going in reverse.

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Etymology

Origin of pinwheeling

pinwheel + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The Crab Nebula features a neutron star at its center that has formed into a 12-mile-wide pulsar pinwheeling electromagnetic radiation across the cosmos.

From Science Daily • Nov. 18, 2024

The man and his car were pinwheeling down a flooded river before he was lifted to safety by a helicopter.

From BBC • Aug. 1, 2023

San Francisco’s Brett Wisely lost his bat while hitting a third-inning double play, sending it pinwheeling into the Reds dugout, where it disappeared into the opening to the tunnel leading to the clubhouse.

From Washington Times • Jul. 18, 2023

Down he glides, across the slope like a knife smoothing butter on toast, before pinwheeling through a series of small turns.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2022

He wound up, fired, the ball headed for the plate, and — what’s this? — a legball? — it’s got legs — long legs pinwheeling toward the plate.

From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli