twirl

[ twurl ]
/ twɜrl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR twirl ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

to rotate rapidly; whirl.
to turn quickly so as to face or point in another direction.

noun

an act or instance of twirling; spin; whirl.
something convoluted or having a spiral shape; coil; curl; convolution.

QUIZZES

TAKE ROUND 2 OF OUR PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ!

Here is our second set of teacher-selected PSAT vocabulary words. Do you know the meanings of these terms?
Question 1 of 10
advocate
to give up possession or occupancy of.
to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly.
to pronounce or decree by judicial sentence.
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Origin of twirl

First recorded in 1590–1600; tw(ist) + (wh)irl

OTHER WORDS FROM twirl

un·twirled, adjectiveun·twirl·ing, adjective

Words nearby twirl

twinleaf, twinned, twinning, twins, twinset, twirl, twirler, twirp, twist, twist around one's finger, twist drill
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to twirl

whirl, rotate, spin, gyrate, pivot, wheel, gyre, twist, turn, revolve, wind, pirouette, whirligig, purl

Example sentences from the Web for twirl

British Dictionary definitions for twirl

twirl
/ (twɜːl) /

verb

to move or cause to move around rapidly and repeatedly in a circle
(tr) to twist, wind, or twiddle, often idlyshe twirled her hair around her finger
(intr; often foll by around or about) to turn suddenly to face another wayshe twirled around angrily to face him

noun

an act of rotating or being rotated; whirl or twist
something wound around or twirled; coil
a written flourish or squiggle

Derived forms of twirl

twirler, noun

Word Origin for twirl

C16: perhaps a blend of twist + whirl
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