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definitions

spun

[spuhn]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spun ON THESAURUS.COM

verb

a simple past tense and past participle of spin.

adjective

formed by or as by spinning.
Related formshalf-spun, adjectiveun·spun, adjectivewell-spun, adjective

spin

[spin]

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.
  1. the act of intentionally causing a rocket or guided missile to undergo a roll.
  2. 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,
  1. 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.
  2. to derive from or base on something done previously: They took the character of the maid and spun off another TV series.

Idioms

    spin one's wheels. wheel(def 27).
    spin out, (of an automobile) to undergo a spinout.

Origin of spin

before 900; Middle English spinnen to spin yarn, Old English spinnan; cognate with Dutch, German spinnen, Old Norse spinna, Gothic spinnan
Related formsspin·na·bil·i·ty, nounspin·na·ble, adjectiveout·spin, verb (used with object), out·spun, out·spin·ning.un·spin·na·ble, adjective

Synonyms for spin

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR spin ON THESAURUS.COM
7. develop, narrate, relate. 9. extend, lengthen. 12. gyrate. See turn.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for spun

swim, whirl, rotate, spiral, twist, turn, twirl, revolve, reel, wheel, gyre, gyrate, oscillate, pirouette, purl

Examples from the Web for spun

Contemporary Examples of spun

Historical Examples of spun

  • The woman ancestor kitchen-gardened, spun, wove, and nourished the poultry.

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

  • The man took her by the shoulder, laughing still, and spun her up standing.

    The Trail Book

    Mary Austin

  • It's the stuff that a thousand summer-girl stories have been spun out of.

  • Lloyd clapped her hands and spun around the room like a top.

    The Little Colonel

    Annie Fellows Johnston

  • Again he yelled, and as he did so, he struck his heels upon the floor and spun around.

British Dictionary definitions for spun

spun

verb

the past tense and past participle of spin

adjective

formed or manufactured by spinningspun gold; spun glass

spin

verb spins, spinning or spun

to rotate or cause to rotate rapidly, as on an axis
  1. to draw out and twist (natural fibres, as of silk or cotton) into a long continuous thread
  2. 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
  1. the intrinsic angular momentum of an elementary particle or atomic nucleus, as distinguished from any angular momentum resulting from its motion
  2. 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
See also spin off, spin out

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
Word Origin and History for spun

spin

v.

Old English spinnan "draw out and twist fibers into thread," from Proto-Germanic *spenwanan (cf. Old Norse and Old Frisian spinna, Danish spinde, Dutch spinnen, Old High German spinnan, German spinnen, Gothic spinnan), from PIE *(s)pen- "stretch" (cf. Armenian henum "I weave;" Greek patos "garment, literally "that which is spun;" Lithuanian pinu "I plait, braid," spandau "I spin;" Middle Welsh cy-ffiniden "spider;" see span (v.)).

Sense of "to cause to turn rapidly" is from 1610s; meaning "revolve, turn around rapidly" first recorded 1660s. Meaning "attempt to influence reporters' minds after an event has taken place but before they have written about it" seems to have risen to popularity in the 1984 U.S. presidential campaign; e.g. spin doctor, first attested 1984. Spinning wheel is attested from c.1400; spinning-jenny is from 1783 (see jenny); invented by James Hargreaves c.1764-7, patented 1770.

spin

n.

"fairly rapid ride," 1856, from spin (v.).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
spun in Science

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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Idioms and Phrases with spun

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
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.