spin
(spĭn)v. spun (spŭn), spin·ning, spins
v.intr.1. To rotate rapidly; whirl. See Synonyms at
turn.
2. To have a sensation of whirling, as from dizziness; reel: My head spun after I did a cartwheel.
3. To make thread or yarn by drawing out and twisting fibers.
4. To extrude viscous filaments, forming a web or cocoon.
5. To fish with a light rod, lure, and line and a reel with a stationary spool.
v.tr.1. To cause to rotate swiftly; twirl: spin a top.
2. To shape or manufacture by a twirling or rotating process.
3. Informal To play (a recorded piece of music, such as a phonograph record), especially as a disc jockey.
4. To provide an interpretation of (a statement or event, for example), especially in a way meant to sway public opinion: "a messenger who spins bogus research into a vile theology of hatred" (William A. Henry III).
5. a. To draw out and twist (fibers) into thread.
b. To form (thread or yarn) in this manner.
6. To form (a web or cocoon, for example) by extruding viscous filaments.
7. To relate or create: spin a story.
n.1. The act of spinning.
2. A swift whirling motion.
3. A state of mental confusion: I've been in a spin about this all week.
4. Informal A short drive in a vehicle: took a spin in the new car.
5. The flight condition of an aircraft in a nose-down, spiraling, stalled descent.
6. a. A distinctive point of view, emphasis, or interpretation: "adept at putting spin on an apparently neutral recital of facts" (Robert M. Adams).
b. A distinctive character or style: an innovative chef who puts a new spin on traditional fare.
7. Physics a. The angular momentum of rotation of a rigid body about its own axis.
b. The intrinsic angular momentum of a subatomic particle. Also called spin angular momentum.
Phrasal Verbs: spin off To derive (a company or product, for example) from something larger.
spin out1. To rotate out of control, as a skidding car leaving a roadway.
2. To prolong or extend: spin out a visit with an old friend.
Idiom: spin (one's) wheels Informal To expend effort with no result.
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.
spin off
vb (Commerce) (tr, preposition) to turn (a part of a business enterprise) into a separate company
n 1. any product or development derived incidentally from the application of existing knowledge or enterprise
2. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms) a book, film, or television series derived from a similar successful book, film, or television series
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014