spinning

[ spin-ing ]

/ ˈspɪn ɪŋ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spinning ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Textiles.

the act or process of converting staple or short lengths of fiber, as cotton or rayon, into continuous yarn or thread.
the extrusion of a solution of fiber-forming substances through holes in a spinneret to form filaments.

Entomology. the act or process of secreting and placing silk or silklike filaments, as in the construction of a web by a spider or the formation of a cocoon by a caterpillar.

Also called spin casting, spin fishing, thread-line fishing. Angling. the act or technique of casting a relatively light lure attached to a threadlike line wound on a stationary spool.

Nearby words

spinnbarkeit, spinner, spinneret, spinnery, spinney, spinning, spinning box, spinning frame, spinning jenny, spinning mule, spinning reel

Origin of spinning

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at spin, -ing¹

Related forms

spin·ning·ly, adverbnon·spin·ning, noun, adjectiveun·spin·ning, adjective

Definition for spinning (2 of 2)

spin

[ spin ]

/ spɪn /

verb (used with object), spun or (Archaic) span, spun, spin·ning.

to make (yarn) by drawing out, twisting, and winding fibers: Pioneer women spun yarn on spinning wheels.

to form (the fibers of any material) into thread or yarn: The machine spins nylon thread.

(of spiders, silkworms, etc.) to produce (a thread, cobweb, gossamer, silk, etc.) by extruding from the body a long, slender filament of a natural viscous matter that hardens in the air.

to cause to turn around rapidly, as on an axis; twirl; whirl: to spin a coin on a table.

Informal. to play (phonograph records): a job spinning records on a radio show.

Metalworking. to shape (sheet metal) into a hollow, rounded form by pressure from a tool while rotating the metal on a lathe or wheel.

to produce, fabricate, or evolve in a manner suggestive of spinning thread: to spin a tale of sailing ships and bygone days.

Rocketry. to cause intentionally (a rocket or guided missile) to undergo a roll.

to draw out, protract, or prolong (often followed by out): He spun the project out for over three years.

British. to flunk a student in an examination or a term's work.

Slang. to cause to have a particular bias; influence in a certain direction: His assignment was to spin the reporters after the president's speech.

verb (used without object), spun or (Archaic) span, spun, spin·ning.

to revolve or rotate rapidly, as the earth or a top.

to produce a thread from the body, as spiders or silkworms.

to produce yarn or thread by spinning.

to move, go, run, ride, or travel rapidly.

to have a sensation of whirling; reel: My head began to spin and I fainted.

to fish with a spinning or revolving bait.

noun

the act of causing a spinning or whirling motion.

a spinning motion given to a ball, wheel, axle, or other object.

a downward movement or trend, especially one that is sudden, alarming, etc.: Steel prices went into a spin.

a rapid run, ride, drive, or the like, as for exercise or enjoyment: They went for a spin in the car.

Slang. a particular viewpoint or bias, especially in the media; slant: They tried to put a favorable spin on the news coverage of the controversial speech.

Also called tailspin, tail spin. Aeronautics. a maneuver in which an airplane descends in a vertical direction along a helical path of large pitch and small radius at an angle of attack greater than the critical angle, dangerous when not done intentionally or under control.

Rocketry.

the act of intentionally causing a rocket or guided missile to undergo a roll.
a roll so caused.

Also called spin angular momentum. Physics. the intrinsic angular momentum characterizing each kind of elementary particle, having one of the values 0, 1/2, 1/3, … when measured in units of Planck's constant divided by 2π.

Australian. a run of luck; fate.

Verb Phrases

spin off,

to create something new, as a company or assets, without detracting from or affecting the relative size or stability of the original: After the acquisition, the company was required to spin off about a third of its assets.
to derive from or base on something done previously: They took the character of the maid and spun off another TV series.

Origin of spin

before 900; Middle English spinnen to spin yarn, Old English spinnan; cognate with Dutch, German spinnen, Old Norse spinna, Gothic spinnan

SYNONYMS FOR spin

7 develop, narrate, relate.

9 extend, lengthen.

12 gyrate. See turn.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spin ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

spin·na·bil·i·ty, nounspin·na·ble, adjectiveout·spin, verb (used with object), out·spun, out·spin·ning.un·spin·na·ble, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for spinning

He's dazzling, fielding questions, spinning out anecdotes and limericks, sounding 35 and hungry for publicity.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I always visualized history,” he recalled, “but her spinning native cotton with that wheel transported me into it.
We All Have a Rosebud in Our Pasts|Sam Roberts|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That said, the possibility of Russia spinning the whole world into recession is really remote.
Flex Muscle Spending Has Left Putin’s Russia in an Economic Freeze Frame|Daniel Gross|April 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But for users of HBO GO Sunday night, it was more like a spinning wheel of death.
‘True Detective’ Season Finale Crashes HBO GO, Fans Take to Twitter to Vent|Marlow Stern|March 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Key actions: Spinning and spinning; frolicking; falling down.
So You Are Enduring a Temporarily Paralyzing Winter Storm|Kelly Williams Brown|February 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Every house of any note could boast of a spinning wheel and loom.
Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States|Work Projects Administration
Spinning a top is second to no exercise which I have yet mentioned, unless it is playing at shuttlecock.
The Young Mother|William A. Alcott
Spinning and weaving might have still been going on but for a big fire that destroyed the whole place.
Normandy, Complete|Gordon Home
As a rule, each member of the family had a regularly allotted task for each day in spinning or weaving.
Civil War and Reconstruction in Alabama|Walter L. Fleming
They went on—one with her knitting and the other with her spinning.
Armorel of Lyonesse|Walter Besant

British Dictionary definitions for spinning (1 of 3)

spinning

/ (ˈspɪnɪŋ) /

noun

the act or process of spinning
(as modifier)spinning yarn

the act or technique of casting and drawing a revolving lure through the water so as to imitate the movement of a live fish, etc

British Dictionary definitions for spinning (2 of 3)

Spinning

/ (ˈspɪnɪŋ) /

noun

trademark a form of high-intensity exercise using exercise bikes

British Dictionary definitions for spinning (3 of 3)

spin

/ (spɪn) /

verb spins, spinning or spun

to rotate or cause to rotate rapidly, as on an axis

to draw out and twist (natural fibres, as of silk or cotton) into a long continuous thread
to make such a thread or filament from (synthetic resins, etc), usually by forcing through a nozzle

(of spiders, silkworms, etc) to form (webs, cocoons, etc) from a silky fibre exuded from the body

(tr) to shape (metal) into a rounded form on a lathe

(tr) informal to tell (a tale, story, etc) by drawing it out at great length (esp in the phrase spin a yarn)

to bowl, pitch, hit, or kick (a ball) so that it rotates in the air and changes direction or speed on bouncing, or (of a ball) to be projected in this way

(intr) (of wheels) to revolve rapidly without causing propulsion

to cause (an aircraft) to dive in a spiral descent or (of an aircraft) to dive in a spiral descent

(intr foll by along) to drive or travel swiftly

Also: spin-dry (tr) to rotate (clothes) in a washing machine in order to extract surplus water

(intr) to reel or grow dizzy, as from turning aroundmy head is spinning

(intr) to fish by drawing a revolving lure through the water

(intr) informal to present news or information in a way that creates a favourable impression

noun

a swift rotating motion; instance of spinning

physics

the intrinsic angular momentum of an elementary particle or atomic nucleus, as distinguished from any angular momentum resulting from its motion
a quantum number determining values of this angular momentum in units of the Dirac constant, having integral or half-integral valuesSymbol: S, s

a condition of loss of control of an aircraft or an intentional flight manoeuvre in which the aircraft performs a continuous spiral descent because the angle of maximum lift is less than the angle of incidence

a spinning motion imparted to a ball, etc

(in skating) any of various movements involving spinning rapidly on the spot

informal a short or fast drive, ride, etc, esp in a car, for pleasure

flat spin informal, mainly British a state of agitation or confusion

Australian and NZ informal a period of time or an experience; chance or luck; fortunea bad spin

commerce informal a sudden downward trend in prices, values, etc

informal the practice of presenting news or information in a way that creates a favourable impression

on the spin informal one after anotherthey have lost two finals on the spin

Word Origin for spin

Old English spinnan; related to Old Norse spinna, Old High German spinnan to spin, Lithuanian pinu to braid

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

Science definitions for spinning

spin

[ spĭn ]

The intrinsic angular momentum of a rigid body or particle, especially a subatomic particle. Also called spin angular momentum

The total angular momentum of a physical system, such as an electron orbital or an atomic nucleus.

A quantum number expressing spin angular momentum; the actual angular momentum is a quantum number multiplied by Dirac's constant. Fermions have spin values that are integer multiples of 12, while bosons have spin values that are integer multiples of 1.

Idioms and Phrases with spinning

spin

In addition to the idioms beginning with spin

spin a yarn
spin control
spin doctor
spin off
spin one's wheels
spin out

also see:

go into a tailspin
make one's head spin
put a spin on