BIRR

whir, whirr, whirring, birr

(noun) sound of something in rapid motion; “whir of a bird’s wings”; “the whir of the propellers”

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; “the motor whirred”; “the car engine purred”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Proper noun

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.

Statistics

• 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.

Etymology 1

Noun

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

Verb

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.

Etymology 2

Noun

birr (plural birrs)

The currency of Ethiopia, divided into 100 santims.

Synonyms

• ETB

Usage notes

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



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The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.

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