whirl

whirl

rotate or spin rapidly: The blades of the windmill whirl in the breeze.

Not to be confused with:

whorl – one of the ridges of a fingerprint; a coil or curl: whorls of frost on a window

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

whirl

 (wûrl, hwûrl)

v. whirled, whirl·ing, whirls

v.intr.

1. To rotate rapidly about a center or an axis; spin.

2. To move while rotating or turning about: The dancer whirled across the stage. See Synonyms at turn.

3. To turn rapidly, changing direction; wheel: She whirled around to face him.

4. To have the sensation of spinning; reel: My head is whirling with data.

v.tr.

1. To cause to rotate or turn rapidly: whirl a baton.

2. To cause to move with a spinning motion: whirled the ball up into the air.

3. To drive at high speed: whirled the motorcycle around the corner.

4. Obsolete To hurl.

n.

1. The act of rotating or revolving rapidly.

2. Something, such as a cloud of dust, that whirls or is whirled.

3. A state of confusion; a tumult: The press room was in a whirl.

4. A swift succession or round of events: the social whirl.

5. A state of mental confusion or giddiness; dizziness: My head is in a whirl.

6. Informal A short trip or ride.

7. Informal A brief or experimental try: Let's give the plan a whirl.

---

[Middle English whirlen, probably from Old Norse hvirfla.]

---

whirl′er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

whirl

(wɜːl)

vb

1. to spin, turn, or revolve or cause to spin, turn, or revolve

2. (intr) to turn around or away rapidly

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

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

n

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

6. a condition of confusion or giddiness: her accident left me in a whirl.

7. a swift round, as of events, meetings, etc

8. a tumult; stir

9. informal a brief trip, dance, etc

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

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

ˈwhirler n

ˈwhirling adj

ˈwhirlingly adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

whirl

(ʰwɜrl, wɜrl)

v.i.

1. to spin or rotate rapidly.

2. to turn about or aside quickly.

3. to move or be carried rapidly along: to whirl down the freeway.

4. to experience confusion or dizziness: My head is whirling.

v.t.

5. to cause to spin or rotate rapidly.

6. to drive or carry in a circular or curving course.

7. to drive or carry along rapidly.

8. Obs. to throw or hurl.

n.

9. the act of whirling.

10. a whirling movement; quick turn.

11. a short trip, as a drive or walk: a whirl around the block.

12. something that whirls; a whirling mass.

13. a rapid round of events: a whirl of graduation parties.

14. a state marked by dizziness or a dizzying succession of feelings or thoughts: My head is in a whirl.

15. an attempt; trial: He gave the diet a whirl.

16. whip (def. 26).

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

whirl′er, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

whirl

• turbine - Came from Latin turbo, "whirl, whirling thing."
• twirl - May be a blend of twist and whirl.
• warble - Has the underlying notion of "whirling around"; for sounds, it took on the meaning "whirl of notes; trill."
• whorl - A variant of whirl, it first meant "small flywheel."

Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.

whirl

Past participle: whirled
Gerund: whirling

Imperative

whirl

whirl

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	whirl - confused movement; "he was caught up in a whirl of work"; "a commotion of people fought for the exits" commotion motion, movement - a natural event that involves a change in the position or location of something
	2.	whirl - the shape of something rotating rapidly convolution, swirl, vortex round shape - a shape that is curved and without sharp angles
	3.	whirl - a usually brief attempt; "he took a crack at it"; "I gave it a whirl" fling, go, offer, crack, pass attempt, effort, try, endeavor, endeavour - earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something; "made an effort to cover all the reading material"; "wished him luck in his endeavor"; "she gave it a good try"
	4.	whirl - the act of rotating rapidly; "he gave the crank a spin"; "it broke off after much twisting" spin, twirl, twisting, twist rotary motion, rotation - the act of rotating as if on an axis; "the rotation of the dancer kept time with the music" pirouette - (ballet) a rapid spin of the body (especially on the toes as in ballet) birling, logrolling - rotating a log rapidly in the water (as a competitive sport)
Verb	1.	whirl - turn in a twisting or spinning motion; "The leaves swirled in the autumn wind" swirl, twiddle, twirl revolve, rotate, go around - turn on or around an axis or a center; "The Earth revolves around the Sun"; "The lamb roast rotates on a spit over the fire"
	2.	whirl - cause to spin; "spin a coin"   birl, twirl, spin circumvolve, rotate - cause to turn on an axis or center; "Rotate the handle"
	3.	whirl - flow in a circular current, of liquids eddy, purl, whirlpool, swirl course, flow, run, feed - move along, of liquids; "Water flowed into the cave"; "the Missouri feeds into the Mississippi"
	4.	whirl - revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis; "The dervishes whirl around and around without getting dizzy" spin, spin around, gyrate, reel revolve, rotate, go around - turn on or around an axis or a center; "The Earth revolves around the Sun"; "The lamb roast rotates on a spit over the fire" whirligig - whirl or spin like a whirligig
	5.	whirl - fly around; "The clothes tumbled in the dryer"; "rising smoke whirled in the air" whirl around, tumble move - move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion; "He moved his hand slightly to the right"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

whirl

verb

1. spin, turn, circle, wheel, twist, reel, rotate, pivot, twirl Hearing a sound behind her, she whirled round.

2. rotate, roll, twist, revolve, swirl, twirl, gyrate, pirouette The smoke whirled and grew into a monstrous column.

3. feel dizzy, swim, spin, reel, go round My head whirled in a giddiness like that of intoxication.

noun

1. revolution, turn, roll, circle, wheel, spin, twist, reel, swirl, rotation, twirl, pirouette, gyration, birl (Scot.) the whirl of snowflakes in the wind

2. bustle, round, series, succession, flurry, merry-go-round Her life is one long whirl of parties.

3. confusion, daze, dither (chiefly Brit.), giddiness My thoughts are in a complete whirl.

4. tumult, spin, stir, agitation, commotion, hurly-burly I was caught up in a terrible whirl of emotion.

give something a whirl (Informal) attempt, try, have a go at (informal), have a crack at (informal), have a shot at (informal), have a stab at (informal), have a bash at, have a whack at (informal) Why not give acupuncture a whirl?

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

whirl

verb

1. To rotate rapidly:

spin, swirl, twirl.

2. To move or cause to move like a rapid rotary current of liquid:

eddy, swirl.

3. To have the sensation of turning in circles:

reel, spin, swim, swirl.

4. To move swiftly:

bolt, bucket, bustle, dart, dash, festinate, flash, fleet, flit, fly, haste, hasten, hurry, hustle, pelt, race, rocket, run, rush, sail, scoot, scour, shoot, speed, sprint, tear, trot, whisk, whiz, wing, zip, zoom.

Informal: hotfoot, rip.

Slang: barrel, highball.

Chiefly British: nip.

Idioms: get a move on, get cracking, go like lightning, go like the wind, hotfoot it, make haste, make time, make tracks, run like the wind, shake a leg, step on it.

noun

1. Circular movement around a point or about an axis:

circuit, circulation, circumvolution, gyration, revolution, rotation, turn, wheel.

2. Agitated, excited movement and activity:

bustle, flurry, stir, whirlpool.

3. Informal. A trip in a motor vehicle:

drive, ride, run.

Informal: spin.

4. Informal. A brief trial:

crack, go, stab, try.

Informal: fling, shot, whack.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

دَوَران سَريعدَوَران، في دَوّامَهيُدَوِّم، يَلُف، يَدور كالدَّوّامَه

hvirvlesnurresnurren

herumwirbelnWirbelwirbeln

agiterbrandirretournersifflementtourbillon

iîa; svimisnarsnúa ; òyrla ; òeytasnarsnúningur

turbinarerotazione rapidatrasportarevolteggiareconfusione

staigus apsisukimasstaigus apsukimassūkurysviesulas

grieztgrieztiesjūklissagrieztsavērpt

brå svingtummel

круговерть

vrtinčiti se

baş dönmesifırıl fırıl dön mefırıl fırıl dön mekhay huykoşuşma

使旋转使飞快移动急转眩晕风卷去

whirl

[wɜːl]

A. N (= spin) → giro m, vuelta f; [of dust, water etc] → remolino m; [of cream] → rizo m
my head is in a whirl → la cabeza me está dando vueltas
the social whirl → la actividad social
a whirl of pleasures → un torbellino de placeres
let's give it a whirl → ¡nada se pierde con intentar!

B. VT

1. (= spin) → hacer girar
he whirled Anne round the dance floor → hizo girar a Anne por la pista
as the wind whirled leaves into the air → mientras el aire hacia revolotear or girar las hojas en el aire
he whirled his sword round his head → esgrimió su espada haciéndola girar sobre su cabeza

2. (fig) (= transport) → llevar rápidamente
the train whirled us off to Paris → el tren nos llevó rápidamente a París
he whirled us off to the theatre → nos llevó volando al teatro

C. VI [wheel, merry-go-round] → girar; [leaves, dust, water] → arremolinarse (fig) (= move quickly) the dancers whirled past → los bailarines pasaron girando vertiginosamente
my head was whirling → me daba vueltas la cabeza

whirl round

A. VI + ADV [wheel, merry-go-round] → girar, dar vueltas; [dust, water] → arremolinarse
she whirled round to face me → se volvió rápidamente para mirarme

B. VT + ADV → hacer girar
he was whirling something round on the end of a string → hacía girar algo al extremo de un hilo

C. VT + PREP
see whirl B1

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

whirl

[ˈ^hwɜː^rl]

n → tourbillon m

(= exciting, active time) a whirl of activity → une débauche d'activité
a social whirl → un tourbillon de mondanités

my mind is in a whirl → la tête me tourne

to give sth a whirl (= try) → essayer qch

vt [+ person] → faire tournoyer; [+ snow, dust] → faire tourbillonner

vi

(= swirl) [snow, dust] → tourbillonner
whirling snow → de la neige tourbillonnante

(= rotate quickly) [blades, arms] → tournoyer

whirl around

vi [person] → faire volte-face; [dancer] → tournoyer
He whirled around and ran back down the street → Il fit volte-face et redescendit la rue au pas de course.

vt sep [+ person] → faire tourner

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

whirl

n (= spin) → Wirbeln nt no pl; (of dust, water etc, also fig) → Wirbel m; (of cream etc) → Tupfer m; to give something a whirl (lit) → etw herumwirbeln; (fig inf: = try out) → etw ausprobieren; the social whirl → der Trubel des gesellschaftlichen Lebens; my head is in a whirl → mir schwirrt der Kopf

vt

(= make turn) → wirbeln; to whirl somebody/something round → jdn/etw herumwirbeln; he whirled his hat round his head → er schwenkte seinen Hut; he whirled the water around with his stick → er rührte mit seinem Stock im Wasser herum

(transport) → eilends wegbringen; (person) → mit sich nehmen, entführen (inf)

vi (= spin) → wirbeln; (water) → strudeln; to whirl (a)round → herumwirbeln; (water) → strudeln; (person: = turn round quickly) → herumfahren; my head is whirling → mir schwirrt der Kopf; after a few drinks the room started whirling → nach ein paar Gläsern fing der Raum an, sich zu drehen; they/the countryside whirled past us → sie wirbelten/die Landschaft flog an uns vorbei

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

whirl

[wɜːl]

1. n (spin) → vortice m, turbinio; (of dust, water) → turbine m; (of cream) → ricciolo
my head is in a whirl → mi gira la testa
the social whirl → il vortice della vita mondana
let's give it a whirl (fam) → facciamo un tentativo

2. vt (also whirl round) (dance partner) → far roteare, far volteggiare
the wind whirled the leaves → il vento ha sollevato le foglie in un vortice
he whirled us round the town → ci ha fatto visitare la città a tutta velocità or in un baleno
he whirled us off to the theatre → ci trascinò con sé al teatro

3. vi (also whirl round) (wheel, merry-go-round) → girare; (dancers) → volteggiare; (leaves, dust) → sollevarsi in un vortice
the countryside whirled past us → la campagna sfrecciava accanto a noi
the dancers whirled past us → i danzatori passarono accanto a noi volteggiando
my head was whirling → mi girava la testa

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

whirl

(wəːl) verb

to move rapidly (round, away etc). She whirled round when I called her name; The wind whirled my hat away before I could grab it. wegwaai يُدَوِّم، يَلُف، يَدور كالدَّوّامَه въртя се силно rodopiar prudce se otočit; odnést wirbeln snurre; hvirvle στροβιλίζω, στροβιλίζομαι, γυρίζω ir como un relámpago, girar, dar vueltas pöörama, keerutama چرخانيدن pyörähtää se retourner brusquement; tourbillonner לְסוֹבֵב בִּמהִירוּת तेजी से घूमना brzo se kretati forog berputar snarsnúa(st); þyrla(st); þeyta girarsi; さっと動く 급히 움직이다 ap(si)sukti []griezt; []vērpt; griezties; virpuļot memusing-musingkan wervelensnurre; bråsnu, virvle, suse av gårde wirować, okręcić się, porwać w wir rodopiar a se întoarce brusc; a învârti кружить prudko sa otočiť; odniesť hitro se obrniti; zavrteti se vrteti virvla, slunga, slänga หมุนเวียนรอบอย่างรวดเร็ว fırıl fırıl dön(dür)mek 飛快旋轉，風吹飄走 крутити(ся); кружляти تیزی سے گھومنا xoáy tít; quay cuồng 使飞快移动，使旋转，风卷去

noun

1. an excited confusion. a whirl of activity; My head's in a whirl – I can't believe it's all happening! ronddraai دَوَران، في دَوّامَه хаос rodopio zmatek, shon der Wirbel snurren δίνη, παραζάληtorbellino, bullicio, ajetreo tuhin, -pööritus چرخيدن hyörinä tourbillonבלבול घूर्णन komešanje pörgés kebingungan (hring)iða; svimi turbinio 混乱 소동 sukimasis, sūkurys, sąmyšis virpulis; jūklis berpusing-pusing roesvirvel, tummelwir rodopio vârtej суматоха; кружение zhon, zmätok vrtinec kovitlac virvel, virvlande การหมุนรอบ telâş, hay huy, koşuşma 一陣混亂 метушня; сум'яття سر گردانی sự quay cuồng; gió lốc 眩晕

2. a rapid turn. skielike draai دَوَران سَريع въртене rodopio víření das Herumwirbeln snurren rundt στροβίλισμαgiro, vuelta pööre گردش سريع pyörähdys tourbillon; tournoiement סִיבוּב מָהִיר घूर्णन brz okret forgás putaran cepat snarsnúningur rotazione 急回転 급선회 staigus ap(si)sukimas spējš pagrieziens pusaran; putaran wervelingbrå sving nagły obrót rodopio întoarcere bruscă оборот vírenie, kúdol hiter obrat brz okret rotation, sväng, virvlande การหมุนกลับอย่างรวดเร็ว fırıl fırıl dön(dür)me; baş dönmesi 急轉 вихор, завихрення تیز چکر sự xoay tít 急转

ˈwhirlpool noun

a circular current in a river or sea, caused by opposing tides, winds or currents. kolk دُوّامَه، دُرْدور مائي водовъртеж redemoinho vír der Strudel strømhvirvel δίνη, ρουφήχτραremolino veekeeris گرداب pyörre tourbillonמערבולת भंवर vir, vrtlog örvény pusaran hringiða, svelgur vortice, mulinello 渦巻き 소용돌이 sūkurys virpulis; atvars lubuk pusar draaikolkvirvelstrøm, malstrømwirremoinho vârtej (de apă) водоворот vír, krútňava vrtinec vir strömvirvel, malström น้ำวน girdap, anafor 漩渦 вир بھنور xoáy nước 旋涡

ˈwhirlwind noun

a violent circular current of wind with a whirling motion. warrelwind زَوْبَعَه، دَوّامَه هَوائِيَّه، إعْصار вихрушка furacão / ciclone tornádo der Wirbelwind hvirvelvind ανεμοστρόβιλοςtorbellino tuulispask گردباد pyörretuuli tornade מְעַרבּוֹלתֶ אֲוִיר बवण्डर vihor, zračni vrtlog forgószél angin puyuh hvirfilvindur turbine, つむじ風 회오리바람 viesulas, uraganas virpulis; viesulis putting-beliung wervelwindvirvelvind trąba powietrzna furacão vijelie; tornadă вихрь vzdušný vír, víchrica, smršť zračni vrtinec kovitlac virvelvind ลมหมุน hortum 旋風 вихор; смерч بگولا cơn gió lốc 旋风

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.