hurl

present singular third person hurls · participle present hurling · participle past hurled · past hurled

1. transitiveTo throw (something) with force.

   The Tottenham wing was causing havoc down the right and when he broke past the bemused Sasa Balic once again, Bellamy was millimetres from connecting with his cross as the Liverpool striker hurled himself at the ball.

   2011 September 2, “Wales 2-1 Montenegro”, in BBC

   2 more examples

   Thou shalt have Preists immers’t in lust and gluttony And bishops three times married, thy cathedrals The Seats where Prayer and hospitality Should dwel, shall be the taverns Where Drunken bowles incessantly goe round In leud debauch and midnight dice are hurld, The beds wherein the wearied Pilgrim us’d To ease his crippled Limbs, he now shall find Possess’t with Women, nurses, she attandants, And a Dishonest brood of ugly children.

   a. 1722, Matthew Prior, “Fragment”, in H. Bunker Wright, Monroe K. Spears, editors, The Literary Works of Matthew Prior, Second edition, volume I, Oxford: Clarendon Press, published 1971, pages 720–721

   I was standing on the edge of the conning-tower, when a heavy palm suddenly struck me between the shoulders and hurled me forward into space. The drop to the triangular deck forward of the conning-tower might easily have broken a leg for me, or I might have slipped off onto the deck and rolled overboard; but fate was upon my side, as I was only slightly bruised.

   1918, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Land That Time Forgot, Chapter IV

   Synonyms: chuck, fling, bung, cast, chuck, chunk, cook, dash

2. transitiveTo utter (harsh or derogatory speech), especially at its target.

   The gangs hurled abuse at each other.

   3 more examples

   Tarzan on his part never lost an opportunity to show that he fully reciprocated his foster father's sentiments, and whenever he could safely annoy him or make faces at him or hurl insults upon him from the safety of his mother's arms, or the slender branches of the higher trees, he did so.

   1912, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes, Chapter 5

   Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!"

   1984, New International Version of the Bible, Mark 15:29-30

   It is Boxing Day in a football ground, and all we can do is sprawl over the plastic, hurling instructions and vague encouragement.

   2016, Daniel Gray, Saturday, 3pm: 50 Eternal Delights of Modern Football

3. intransitiveTo participate in the sport of hurling.

   Their cause was helped after the senior footballers were unexpectedly dumped out of the running for the Sam Maguire, meaning Aidan Walsh is available to hurl full-time with the young Rebels -- Walsh scored 1-1 in the semi-final victory over reigning All-Ireland champions Tipperary.

   2011 August 3, Donnchadh Boyle, “Egan targets Rebel success to rescue poor season”, in Irish Independent

4. intransitiveslangTo vomit.

   I shake and bake the world Rearrange like the chemical Jheri curl, drink til I hurl

   1995, Nine, “Da Fundamentalz”, in Nine Livez

   Synonyms: throw up, bait, barf, be sick, blow chunks, boak, boke, boot

5. obsoletetransitiveTo twist or turn.

   1 more example

   On Nicias a philosopher having his shoes stolen from him, may they, said he, fit his feet that took them away. A wish at the first view very harmless, but there was that in it which poisoned his charity into a malicious revenge. For he himself had hurled or crooked feet, so that in effect he wished the thief to be lame.

   1645, Thomas Fuller, Good Thoughts in Bad Times

6. obsoleteTo move rapidly with a noise; to whirl.
7. ScotlandobsoletetransitiveTo convey in a wheeled vehicle.

plural hurls

1. countableA throw, especially a violent throw; a fling.

   He managed a hurl of 50.3 metres.

   2 more examples

   The Gods, with horror and amaze, look’d down, Beholding rocks from their firm basis rent; Mountain on mountain thrown, With threatening hurl, that shook th’ aethereal [var.: aerial] firmament!

   1695, William Congreve, “To the King, on the Taking of Namure. Irregular Ode.”, in Poems Upon Several Occasions, Glasgow, published 1752, page 16

   I laid down this law with all the girls and expected to receive a hurl of abuse back.

   Benjamin W. Evans, Tales From The Kerb (page 25)

2. countableslanguncountableThe act of vomiting.

   Open the window! I've gotta take a hurl.

3. slanguncountableVomit.

   WAYNE: What I'd really like to do is something extraordinary. Something big. […] But I'll probably end up working at Great America, mopping up hurl and lung butter.

   1993, Wayne's World 2 (film)

4. countablehurlingThe act of hitting the sliotar with the hurley.
5. ScotlandUlstercountableslangA conveyance in a wheeled vehicle; a ride in a car, etc.

   Maybe you can give me a hurl in the Bentley one day, when you're in the vicinity.

   2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 413

6. countableobsoleteuncountableTumult; riot; hurly-burly.
7. countableobsoleteA table on which fibre is stirred and mixed by beating with a bow spring.