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whirl

Whirl means a quick spin, and for giving something a try. Hang-gliding? Snake-charming? "Sure," you say. "I'll give it a whirl."

Both whirl and spin are words that mean "turn" but that have also come to mean trying something briefly––you might take a car for a spin or take a turn hiking in the Himalayas. All imply an attitude so free-wheeling, so easy, so devil-may-care it might make your head spin. Or whirl.

DEFINITIONS OF: whirl

1

n the shape of something rotating rapidly

Synonyms:
convolution, swirl, vortex
Type of:
round shape
a shape that is curved and without sharp angles

n the act of rotating rapidly

Synonyms:
spin, twirl, twist, twisting
Types:
pirouette
(ballet) a rapid spin of the body (especially on the toes as in ballet)
birling, logrolling
rotating a log rapidly in the water (as a competitive sport)
Type of:
rotary motion, rotation
the act of rotating as if on an axis

n confused movement

“he was caught up in a whirl of work”
Synonyms:
commotion
Type of:
motion, movement
a natural event that involves a change in the position or location of something

n a usually brief attempt

“I gave it a whirl”
Synonyms:
crack, fling, go, offer, pass
Type of:
attempt, effort, endeavor, endeavour, try
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

v turn in a twisting or spinning motion

Synonyms:
swirl, twiddle, twirl
Type of:
go around, revolve, rotate
turn on or around an axis or a center

v revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis

“The dervishes whirl around and around without getting dizzy”
Synonyms:
gyrate, reel, spin, spin around
Types:
whirligig
whirl or spin like a whirligig
Type of:
go around, revolve, rotate
turn on or around an axis or a center

v flow in a circular current, of liquids

Synonyms:
eddy, purl, swirl, whirlpool
Type of:
course, feed, flow, run
move along, of liquids

v fly around

“rising smoke whirled in the air”
Synonyms:
tumble, whirl around
Type of:
move
move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion

v cause to spin

Synonyms:
birl, spin, twirl
Type of:
circumvolve, rotate
cause to turn on an axis or center
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