WHIRLING

gyration, whirling

(noun) the act of rotating in a circle or spiral

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Verb

whirling

present participle of whirl

Noun

whirling (plural whirlings)

The action of the verb to whirl.

Adjective

whirling

That whirls or whirl.

Source: Wiktionary


Whirl"ing,

Definition: a. & n. from Whirl, v. t. Whirling table. (a) (Physics) An apparatus provided with one or more revolving disks, with weights, pulleys, and other attachments, for illustrating the phenomena and laws of centrifugal force, and the like. (b) A potter's wheel.

WHIRL

Whirl, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Whirled; p. pr. & vb. n. Whirling.] Etym: [OE. whirlen, probably from the Scand.; cf. Icel. & Sw. hvirfla, Dan. hvirvle; akin to D. wervelen, G. wirbeln, freq. of the verb seen in Icel. hverfa to turn. sq. root16. See Wharf, and cf. Warble, Whorl.]

1. To turn round rapidly; to cause to rotate with velocity; to make to revolve. He whirls his sword around without delay. Dryden.

2. To remove or carry quickly with, or as with, a revolving motion; to snatch; to harry. Chaucer. See, see the chariot, and those rushing wheels, That whirled the prophet up at Chebar flood. Milton. The passionate heart of the poet is whirl'd into folly. Tennyson.

Whirl, v. i.

1. To be turned round rapidly; to move round with velocity; to revolve or rotate with great speed; to gyrate. "The whirling year vainly my dizzy eyes pursue." J. H. Newman. The wooden engine flies and whirls about. Dryden.

2. To move hastily or swiftly. But whirled away to shun his hateful sight. Dryden.

Whirl, n. Etym: [Cf. Dan. hvirvel, Sw. hvirfvel, Icel. hvirfill the crown of the head, G. wirbel whirl, crown of the head, D. wervel. See Whirl, v. t.]

1. A turning with rapidity or velocity; rapid rotation or circumvolution; quick gyration; rapid or confusing motion; as, the whirl of a top; the whirl of a wheel. "In no breathless whirl." J. H. Newman. The rapid . . . whirl of things here below interrupt not the inviolable rest and calmness of the noble beings above. South.

2. Anything that moves with a whirling motion. He saw Falmouth under gray, iron skies, and whirls of March dust. Carlyle.

3. A revolving hook used in twisting, as the hooked spindle of a rope machine, to which the threads to be twisted are attached.

4. (Bot. & Zoöl.)

Definition: A whorl. See Whorl.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

22 February 2025

ANALYSIS

(noun) the use of closed-class words instead of inflections: e.g., ‘the father of the bride’ instead of ‘the bride’s father’


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Espresso is both a coffee beverage and a brewing method that originated in Italy. When making an espresso, a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure forces through finely-ground coffee beans. It has more caffeine per unit volume than most coffee beverages. Its smaller serving size will take three shots to equal a mug of standard brewed coffee.

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