whirl

[ hwurl, wurl ]

/ ʰwɜrl, wɜrl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR whirl ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

to turn around, spin, or rotate rapidly: The merry-go-round whirled noisily.

to turn about or aside quickly: He whirled and faced his pursuers.

to move, travel, or be carried rapidly along: She whirled along the freeway in her new car.

to feel as though spinning rapidly; reel as from dizziness: My head began to whirl.

verb (used with object)

to cause to turn around, spin, or rotate rapidly.

to send, drive, or carry in a circular or curving course.

to drive, send, or carry along with great or dizzying rapidity.

Obsolete. to hurl.

noun

the act of whirling; rapid rotation or gyration.

a whirling movement; quick turn or swing.

a short drive, run, walk, or the like; spin.

something that whirls; a whirling current or mass.

a rapid round of events, affairs, etc.: a whirl of meetings, conferences, and business lunches.

a state marked by dizziness or a dizzying succession of feelings, thoughts, etc.

an attempt or trial, especially one undertaken tentatively or experimentally: Even if you don't agree with my plan, won't you give it a whirl?

Machinery. whip(def 26).

Nearby words

whipstock, whiptail, whiptail wallaby, whipworm, whir, whirl, whirlabout, whirligig, whirligig beetle, whirling dervish, whirlpool

Origin of whirl

1250–1300; Middle English whirlen < Old Norse hvirfla to whirl, akin to Old English hwyrflung turning, revolving, hwyrfel circuit; see whorl

SYNONYMS FOR whirl

1 gyrate, pirouette.

1, 5 revolve, twirl, wheel.

9 spin, revolution.

15 try, go, fling, whack.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR whirl ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formswhirl·er, nounwhirl·ing·ly, adverbout·whirl, verb (used with object)un·whirled, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for whirling

But Liberty is always dipping his shoulder, whirling around.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They all play a part in this whirling, well oiled machine, helping bring The Macallan to life.
Ester Elchies, The Estate Built By Whiskey||December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But he was a whirling dervish of energy and could outwork his critics.
From The Square Deal to The New Deal: The Overlapping Political Identities of TR and FDR|John Avlon|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Back in July, a whirling household appliance caught her by the weave.
Ellen Sings ‘The Fox,’ Ride on an Eagle’s Wing & More Viral Videos|Julian E. Wright|September 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Bailey got the job and proceeded to “work like a whirling dervish.”
CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Celebrates 2012 Award Winners|Robin Givhan|November 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
In an instant the torrent had caught them in its whirling eddies, and they were so many separate atoms borne along on the flood.
The Ward of King Canute|Ottilie A. Liljencrantz
It will separate them, whirling away the one, and not the other.
The Expositor's Bible: The Psalms, Vol. 1|A. Maclaren
Whirling it like a feather round his head, the maniac rushed on.
The Madman and the Pirate|R.M. Ballantyne
The latter structure was whirling about, careening from side to side, now on one edge of the stream, and now on the other.
The Motor Boys After a Fortune|Clarence Young
To this the girl began to dance, whirling hoops into the air as she moved, and catching them as they fell.
Callias|Alfred John Church

British Dictionary definitions for whirling

whirl

/ (wɜːl) /

verb

to spin, turn, or revolve or cause to spin, turn, or revolve

(intr) to turn around or away rapidly

(intr) to have a spinning sensation, as from dizziness, etc

to move or drive or be moved or driven at high speed

noun

the act or an instance of whirling; swift rotation or a rapid whirling movement

a condition of confusion or giddinessher accident left me in a whirl

a swift round, as of events, meetings, etc

a tumult; stir

informal a brief trip, dance, etc

give something a whirl informal to attempt or give a trial to something

Derived Formswhirler, nounwhirling, adjectivewhirlingly, adverb

Word Origin for whirl

C13: from Old Norse hvirfla to turn about; related to Old High German wirbil whirlwind

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 whirling (1 of 2)

whirl

early 15c., "flywheel of a spindle," from whirl (v.). The meaning "act of whirling" is recorded from late 15c.; figurative sense of "confused activity" is recorded from 1550s. Colloquial sense of "tentative attempt" is attested from 1884, American English.

Word Origin and History for whirling (1 of 2)

whirl

late 13c., probably from Old Norse hvirfla "to go round, spin," related to hvirfill "circle, ring, crown," and to Old English hweorfan "to turn" (see whir). Related: Whirled; whirling. Whirlybird "helicopter" is from 1951.

Idioms and Phrases with whirling

whirl

see give something a whirl.

whirl

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of whirl

Examples from the Web for whirling

British Dictionary definitions for whirling

whirl

verb

noun

Word Origin for whirl

Word Origin and History for whirling (1 of 2)

whirl

Word Origin and History for whirling (1 of 2)

whirl

Idioms and Phrases with whirling

whirl