whir, whirr, whirring, birr
(noun) sound of something in rapid motion; āwhir of a birdās wingsā; āthe whir of the propellersā
birr
(noun) the basic unit of money in Ethiopia; equal to 100 cents
whizz, whiz, whirr, whir, birr, purr
(verb) make a soft swishing sound; āthe motor whirredā; āthe car engine purredā
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Birr (usually uncountable, plural Birrs)
A surname.
A community in Middlesex Centre, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada.
A town in Offaly, Ireland.
A municipality of the canton of Aargau canton, Switzerland.
• According to the 2010 United States Census, Birr is the 25255th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 981 individuals. Birr is most common among White (93.58%) individuals.
birr (plural birrs)
force, vigor, energy
a strong wind.
the force of the wind; rush, impetus, momentum, driving force
a thrust or push
a whirring noise
a strong trilling pronunciation
birr (third-person singular simple present birrs, present participle birring, simple past and past participle birred)
To make a whirring noise; make a noise like that of revolving wheels, or of millstones at work.
birr (plural birrs)
The currency of Ethiopia, divided into 100 santims.
• ETB
Before 1976, the official name for the currency in English was dollar.
Source: Wiktionary
Birr, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Birred; p. pr. & vb. n. Birring.] Etym: [Cf. OE. bur, bir, wind, storm wind, fr. Icel. byrr wind. Perh. imitative.]
Definition: To make, or move with, a whirring noise, as of wheels in motion.
Birr, n.
1. A whirring sound, as of a spinning wheel.
2. A rush or impetus; force.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
22 February 2025
(noun) the use of closed-class words instead of inflections: e.g., āthe father of the brideā instead of āthe brideās fatherā
The first coffee-house in Mecca dates back to the 1510s. The beverage was in Turkey by the 1530s. It appeared in Europe circa 1515-1519 and was introduced to England by 1650. By 1675 the country had more than 3,000 coffee houses, and coffee had replaced beer as a breakfast drink.
