whir

or whirr

[hwur, wur]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR whir ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), whirred, whir·ring.

to go, fly, revolve, or otherwise move quickly with a humming or buzzing sound: An electric fan whirred softly in the corner.

verb (used with object), whirred, whir·ring.

to move or transport (a thing, person, etc.) with a whirring sound: The plane whirred them away into the night.

noun

an act or sound of whirring: the whir of wings.

Origin of whir

1350–1400; Middle English quirre (Scots) < Scandinavian; compare Danish hvirre, Norwegian kvirra. See whirl

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

Related Words for whir

sound, fly, swish, hum, move, vibrate, whiz, bustle, swirl, revolve

Examples from the Web for whir

Contemporary Examples of whir

The whir of the circling NYPD helicopter muffled their chants calling for unity and calling out police brutality.
Protesters Demand Justice For Gurley As Gap Grows Between Cops and NYC
M.L. Nestel
December 28, 2014
As we approach the rumble of guns grows louder and alternates with the whir of cannonballs, which begin to attract his attention.
How Clausewitz Invented Modern War
James A. Warren
November 24, 2014

Historical Examples of whir

He was prepared for the whir of the dial now but still it frightened him a little.
The Odyssey of Sam Meecham
Charles E. Fritch
For a long time I heard nothing but the whir and roar of the fire.
Youth
Joseph Conrad
It flared there, with noises like the whir of wings, with rumbles as of thunder.
Youth
Joseph Conrad
We hear the whir of the crescent-shaped arms opening as they descend.
With The Night Mail
Rudyard Kipling
They were deep in the forest when they heard a whir overhead.
The Rover Boys on a Hunt
Arthur M. Winfield (Edward Stratemeyer)

British Dictionary definitions for whir

whir

whirr

noun

a prolonged soft swish or buzz, as of a motor working or wings flapping

a bustle or rush

verb whirs, whirrs, whirring or whirred

to make or cause to make a whir

Word Origin for whir

C14: probably from Scandinavian; compare Norwegian kvirra, Danish hvirre; see 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

Word Origin and History for whir

c.1400, Scottish, "fling, hurl," probably from Old Norse hvirfla, frequentative of hverfa "to turn" (see wharf). Cf. Danish hvirvle, Dutch wervelen, German wirbeln "to whirl." Related: Whirred; whirring.