spinner

[ spin-er ]

/ ˈspɪn ər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spinner ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person or thing that spins.

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

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.

Aeronautics. a streamlined fairing over a propeller hub.

British Informal. nightjar.

Slang. a disc jockey.

RELATED WORDS

gyroscope, whirligig, gyrostat

Nearby words

spiniferous, spinifex, spinmeister, spinnaker, spinnbarkeit, spinner, spinneret, spinnery, spinney, spinning, spinning box

Origin of spinner

First recorded in 1175–1225, spinner is from the Middle English word spinnere. See spin, -er¹

Related formsun·der·spin·ner, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for spinner

But those who condemn the Stockholm-born spinner for the drug-culture at his concerts should take a look at the facts.
Don't Blame Avicii For His Druggy Tour|Abby Haglage|June 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What resembles a fishing lure dangles from his ear, a spinner bait designed to attract bass.
The Stacks: The Neville Brothers Stake Their Claim as Bards of the Bayou|John Ed Bradley|April 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Later that same day, Spinner implored the officials to “walk over there and force him to give you the answer.”
Telling the Truth Slowly|John Solomon|October 8, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Spinner wrote in an Aug, 28, 2009 email to an Energy Department official.
Telling the Truth Slowly|John Solomon|October 8, 2011|DAILY BEAST

"I don't really have time for a job," she said, describing her work for Spinner as more of a hobby.
'Almost Famous' 2.0|Brian Ries|March 12, 2010|DAILY BEAST
New Zealand Wools are very supple, which make them valuable to the spinner.
Textiles|William H. Dooley
They knew something of the captain's ability as a spinner of yarns.
The Bungalow Boys Along the Yukon|Dexter J. Forrester
Spinner dolphins derive their common name from their habit of leaping clear of the water and spinning on their longitudinal axis.
Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic|Stephen Leatherwood
Spinner and spinster are the only pair of such words, which still survive.
English Past and Present|Richard Chevenix Trench
We troll with a Dowagiac spinner, and the result, in number of fish, is distinctly satisfactory.
Days in the Open|Lathan A. Crandall

British Dictionary definitions for spinner

spinner

/ (ˈspɪnə) /

noun

a person or thing that spins

informal a spin doctor

cricket

a ball that is bowled with a spinning motion
a bowler who specializes in bowling such balls

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

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

an angler's name for the mature adult form (imago) of various flies, especially the mayfliesCompare dun 2 (def. 3)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for spinner

spinner

early 13c., "spider," agent noun from spin (v.). Meaning "person who spins textile thread" is from late 14c.

spinner

noun

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of spinner

Examples from the Web for spinner

British Dictionary definitions for spinner

spinner

noun

Word Origin and History for spinner

spinner