twirl

American  

[twurl] / twɜrl /

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to rotate rapidly; spin; revolve; whirl.

2. to twiddle.

   to twirl my thumbs.

3. to wind idly, as about something.

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verb (used without object)

1. to rotate rapidly; whirl.

2. to turn quickly so as to face or point in another direction.

noun

1. an act or instance of twirling; spin; whirl.

2. something convoluted or having a spiral shape; coil; curl; convolution.

twirl British  

/ twɜːl /

verb

1. to move or cause to move around rapidly and repeatedly in a circle

2. (tr) to twist, wind, or twiddle, often idly

   she twirled her hair around her finger

3. (intr; often foll by around or about) to turn suddenly to face another way

   she twirled around angrily to face him

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noun

1. an act of rotating or being rotated; whirl or twist

2. something wound around or twirled; coil

3. a written flourish or squiggle

Other Word Forms

• twirler noun
• untwirled adjective
• untwirling adjective

Etymology

Origin of twirl

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

Example Sentences

As she watched the dancers march, twirl and kick, she was struck by all the hard work that went into the production.

From The Wall Street Journal

She’s wearing tight jeans, heels and a baggy Harvard hoodie and twirls the sweatshirt’s drawstrings in her fingers as she speaks.

From Los Angeles Times

He smiles, twirls the end of his mustache—his signature move—and waves a hand at me like it was nothing.

From Literature

The glass tower — emerging from a cluster of angled columns — cinches inward at its waist, bulging outward again as it rises, like a figure leaning into a twirl.

From Los Angeles Times

At the forefront is Unitree, which went viral in January after its humanoid robots performed a Chinese folk dance live, marching rhythmically while tossing and twirling handkerchiefs.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• gyrate
• pivot
• rotate
• spin
• whirl