whir

whir  (hwûr, wûr)

v. whirred, whir·ring, whirs

v.intr.

To move so as to produce a vibrating or buzzing sound.

v.tr.

To cause to make a vibratory sound.

n.

1. A sound of buzzing or vibration: the whir of turning wheels.

2. Excited, noisy activity; bustle: the whir of busy shoppers.

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[Middle English whirren, probably of Scandinavian origin.]

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whir, whirr [wɜː]

n

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

2. a bustle or rush

vb whirs, whirrs whirring, whirred

to make or cause to make a whir

[probably from Scandinavian; compare Norwegian kvirra, Danish hvirre; see whirl]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	whir - sound of something in rapid motion; "whir of a bird's wings"; "the whir of the propellers" whirr, whirring, birr sound - the sudden occurrence of an audible event; "the sound awakened them"
Verb	1.	whir - make a soft swishing sound; "the motor whirred"; "the car engine purred" birr, purr, whirr, whiz, whizz sound, go - make a certain noise or sound; "She went `Mmmmm'"; "The gun went `bang'"