TWIRL

spin, twirl, twist, twisting, whirl

(noun) the act of rotating rapidly; “he gave the crank a spin”; “it broke off after much twisting”

kink, twist, twirl

(noun) a sharp bend in a line produced when a line having a loop is pulled tight

whirl, birl, spin, twirl

(verb) cause to spin; “spin a coin”

twirl, swirl, twiddle, whirl

(verb) turn in a twisting or spinning motion; “The leaves swirled in the autumn wind”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

twirl (plural twirls)

A movement where a person spins round elegantly; a pirouette.

Any rotating movement; a spin.

A little twist of some substance; a swirl.

(slang) A prison guard.

Synonym: screw

Verb

twirl (third-person singular simple present twirls, present participle twirling, simple past and past participle twirled)

(intransitive) To perform a twirl.

(transitive) To rotate rapidly.

(transitive) To twist round.

Source: Wiktionary

Twirl, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Twirled; p. pr. & vb. n. Twirling.] Etym: [Cf. AS. þwiril a churn staff, a stirrer, flail, þweran, aþweran, to agitate, twirl, G. zwirlen, quirlen, to twirl, to turn round or about, quirl a twirling stick, OHG. dweran to twirl, stir. Cf. Trowel.]

Definition: To move or turn round rapidly; to whirl round; to move and turn rapidly with the fingers. See ruddy maids, Some taught with dexterous hand to twirl the wheel. Dodsley. No more beneath soft eve's consenting star Fandango twirls his jocund castanet. Byron.

Twirl, v. i.

Definition: To revolve with velocity; to be whirled round rapidly.

Twirl, n.

1. The act of twirling; a rapid circular motion; a whirl or whirling; quick rotation.

2. A twist; a convolution. Woodward.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition