swirl
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
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a swirling movement; whirl; eddy.
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a twist, as of hair around the head or of trimming on a hat.
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any curving, twisting line, shape, or form.
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confusion; disorder.
verb
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to turn or cause to turn in a twisting spinning fashion
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(intr) to be dizzy; swim
my head was swirling
noun
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a whirling or spinning motion, esp in water
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a whorl; curl
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the act of swirling or stirring
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dizzy confusion
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of swirl
1375–1425; late Middle English (north) < Scandinavian; compare Norwegian svirla; cognate with Dutch zwirrelen to whirl, German (dial.) schwirrlen to totter; all < a root *swir- (whence Danish svirre to whirl, German schwirren to whir) + -l- frequentative suffix
Explanation
To swirl is to turn in circles or spirals, the way a leaf caught in a whirlpool swirls, or a toy duck swirls in the bathtub as you empty the water out. Smoke might swirl up from your campfire, keeping the mosquitos that swirl through the air nearby from biting you. Or you can swirl on a carnival ride that spins you in circles until you step back onto the ground and the world swirls for a while, until you regain your balance. Swirl is a noun, too, as in a swirl of dust. It was originally Scottish for "whirlpool."
Vocabulary lists containing swirl
"Joyas Voladoras" by Brian Doyle
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Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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"The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet"
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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.
Red apples made of foam drop from above in one scene, and leaves swirl during the tornado.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Keck Education Center, which will be overrun by excitable children who will get a big kick out of the fountain’s inviting whirl and swirl.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
Finish with a swirl of chili oil, fresh herbs — basil, parsley or dill — and a spoonful of yogurt or cream.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
"I know it's the right thing to do but I don't wanna," she repeats, as synths swirl around her.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
Then, to my amazement, the bark on the tree roots near our feet began to twist and swirl.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
