whir

American  

[hwur, wur] / ʰwɜr, wɜr /

Or whirr

verb (used without object)

whirred, whirring

1. to go, fly, revolve, or otherwise move quickly with a humming or buzzing sound.

   An electric fan whirred softly in the corner.

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verb (used with object)

whirred, whirring

1. to move or transport (a thing, person, etc.) with a whirring sound.

   The plane whirred them away into the night.

noun

1. an act or sound of whirring.

   the whir of wings.

whir British  

/ wɜː /

noun

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

2. a bustle or rush

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verb

1. to make or cause to make a whir

Etymology

Origin of whir

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

Example Sentences

And despite the abrasive whir of machinery nearby, on this Monday afternoon, the sound of children laughing cut through the noise.

From Los Angeles Times

When we stepped onto the back porch, the whir of the cicadas made us both jump.

From Literature

Over the whine of buzzsaws and the steady whir of sanders, hundreds of Vietnamese workers in a factory outside Ho Chi Minh City hustle to fill orders for high-end furniture.

From Barron's

Clara could hear the familiar whir as the light momentarily filled the stage area before the MGM logo and lion began to flicker on the screen.

From Literature

Golf cart-like vehicles guide tourists through a whir of mechanical arms and machines die casting, stamping and assembling car bodies.

From The Wall Street Journal