spin

present singular third person spins · participle present spinning · past spun · past uncommon span · nonstandard past spinned · participle past spun · nonstandard participle past spinned

1. ergativeTo rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction.

   Spin the ball on the floor.

   4 more examples

   I spun myself around a few times.

   She spun around and gave him a big smile.

   Round about him spun the landscape, / Sky and forest reeled together, / And his strong heart leaped within him, / As the sturgeon leaps and struggles / In a net to break its meshes.

   1855, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Hiawatha’s Fasting”, in The Song of Hiawatha, Boston: Ticknor and Fields, page 76

   "Shall we spin for it?" "Might as well." "All right. Here goes. Heads you first and I second. Tails, vice versa." Bill nodded. The coin spun in the air. Jimmy bent to look at it.

   1929, Agatha Christie, The Seven Dials Mystery

   1. ergativeaeronauticsTo enter, or remain in, a spin (abnormal stalled flight mode).
   2. ergativeaeronauticsTo cause one's aircraft to enter or remain in a spin (abnormal stalled flight mode).
2. transitiveTo make yarn by twisting and winding fibers together.

   They spin the cotton into thread.

   2 more examples

   Along the Sunny Bank, or Wat’ry Mead, / Ten thouſand Stalks their various Bloſſoms ſpread : / Peaceful and lowly in their native Soil, / They neither know to ſpin, nor care to toil ; / Yet with confeſs’d Magnificence deride / Our vile Attire, and Impotence of Pride.

   1718, Matthew Prior, “Solomon on the Vanity of the World”, in Poems on Several Occasions, volume II, Dublin: George Grierson, published 1738, book I, page 115

   I started out by spinning a full bobbin of natural white cotton in the normal Z-spun direction.

   2026, Tom Knisley, “Exploring S- and Z-Twist”, in Spin Off, volume L, number 1, page 42

3. figurativelyTo present, describe, or interpret, or to introduce a bias or slant, so as to give something a favorable or advantageous appearance.

   This past week[…] Republicans completed their journey through the looking-glass, spinning a new counternarrative of that deadly day.

   2021 July 31, Lisa Lerer, Nicholas Fandos, “Already Distorting Jan. 6, G.O.P. Now Concocts Entire Counternarrative”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   2 more examples

   But because he is but briefe, and these things of great consequence not to be kept obscure, I shall conceave it nothing above my duty either for the difficulty or the censure that may passe thereon, to communicate such thoughts as I also have had, and do offer them now in this generall labour of reformation, to the candid view both of Church and Magistrate; especially because I see it the hope of good men, that those irregular and unspirituall Courts have spun their utmost date in this Land; and some beter course must now be constituted.

   1643, John Milton, Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce

   In every administration there will be spokesmen and public affairs officers who try to spin the news to make the president look good. But this administration is trying to spin scientific data and muzzle scientists toward that end.

   2006 February 9, “The Politics of Science”, in The Washington Post, page A22

   Synonyms: whitewash, sugarcoat, put lipstick on, gild, blandish, dress up

4. ball gamesTo make the ball move sideways when it bounces on the pitch.

   This pitch is usually preferred for spin than pace.

5. ball gamesTo move sideways when bouncing.

   Spinning the ball gave him figures of 7-48.

6. cookingTo form into thin strips or ribbons, as with sugar.
7. To form (a web, a cocoon, silk, etc.) from threads produced by the extrusion of a viscid, transparent liquid, which hardens on coming into contact with the air; said of the spider, the silkworm, etc.

   I spin a thread that you can't see / A web of thoughts best left unclean

   2024, “Clawing Out”, in Greif, performed by Zeal & Ardor, Track 6

8. To shape, as malleable sheet metal, into a hollow form, by bending or buckling it by pressing against it with a smooth hand tool or roller while the metal revolves, as in a lathe.
9. To move swiftly.

   to spin along the road in a carriage, on a bicycle, etc.

10. To stream or issue in a thread or a small current or jet.

    Blood spins from a vein.

    2 more examples

    Mount them, and make inciſion in their Hides, / That their hot blood may ſpin in Engliſh eyes, / And doubt them with ſuperfluous courage : ha.

    1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii], page 86, column 1

    And yet, we refuse to simply perceive the dark. Rather than sit within total absence our brains spin imagined stimuli out into the void. After all, how could there truly be nothing there?

    2025 January 15, Jacob Geller, “Fear of Dark” (2:52 from the start), in (Please provide the book title or journal name)

11. intransitivecomputingTo wait in a loop until some condition becomes true.
12. intransitivehobbiesTo rotate into the gravel or managing to remain on the straight as a result of bad weather.

    His car spun in the rains just after finishing lap four.

13. informaltransitiveTo play (vinyl records, etc.) as a disc jockey.

    However, for the past six years he has been spinning his novel blend of progressive house and trance music and is finally on the brink of becoming the next luminary DJ.

    2002, CMJ New Music Report, volume 70, number 12

14. intransitivecyclingTo use an exercise bicycle, especially as part of a gym class.
15. intransitivecyclingTo ride a bicycle at a fast cadence.
16. UKslangtransitivegovernmentTo search rapidly.

    But then again, unless someone struck lucky in those first few hours, there weren't even enough detectives to spin a drum [house].

    2013, Nick Oldham, Psycho Alley

17. transitiveTo draw out tediously; prolong.

    to spin a yarn

    Synonyms: spin out

18. fishingTo fish with a swivel or spoonbait.
19. archaicslangtransitiveTo reject at an examination; to fail (a student).

    Synonyms: flunk, plough, pluck

plural spins

1. countableuncountableCircular motion, usually rapid.

   The car went into a spin.

   2 more examples

   The skaters demonstrated their spins.

   He put some spin on the cue ball.

2. countableuncountableA state of confusion or disorientation.

   My mind was in a spin.

3. countableuncountablequantum mechanicsA quantum angular momentum associated with subatomic particles, which also creates a magnetic moment.
4. countableuncountableA novel, creative variation of an existing thing or type; a twist.

   The media has been having a field day not only with the usual tired homophobic innuendos (which one has come to expect) but with new spins on queer bashing that might even seem inventive if they were not so hateful.

   1991 August 10, Michael Bronski, “'I Know You Are, But What Am I?'”, in Gay Community News, volume 19, number 4, page 1

5. countablefigurativelyuncountableA favourable comment or interpretation intended to bias opinion on an otherwise unpleasant situation.

   spin doctor

   4 more examples

   Try to put a positive spin on the disappointing sales figures.

   The politician was mocked in the press for his reliance on spin rather than facts.

   He added: "We've always had spin, especially from Government. But this is not spin. This is dishonesty and so it's our rail media's urgent responsibility to call it out because non-specialist journalists across the country will report this and gradually these untruths will be accepted.

   2022 January 26, Paul Stephen, “Network News: Government's IRP claims condemned as "dishonest"”, in RAIL, number 949, page 7

   Over the course of Yaccarino’s tenure as CEO, she frequently had to put a positive spin on public relations disasters and Musk’s belligerent behavior.

   2025 July 9, Blake Montgomery, Nick Robins-Early, “Linda Yaccarino stepping down as CEO of Elon Musk’s X”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

6. countableuncountablehobbiesRotation of the ball as it flies through the air; sideways movement of the ball as it bounces.

   Synonyms: swazz

7. countableuncountableaeronauticsA condition of flight where a stalled aircraft is simultaneously pitching, yawing, and rolling in a spinning motion.
8. countableuncountableengineeringAn abnormal condition in journal bearings where the bearing seizes to the rotating shaft and rotates inside the journal, destroying both the shaft and the journal.
9. countableuncountableA brief trip by vehicle, especially one made for pleasure.

   I'm off out for a spin in my new sports car.

   2 more examples

   But she opened the door and said "Honey, take me for a spin." / So we drove up town just to get the tags / And I headed her right on down main drag / I could hear everybody laughin' for blocks around / But up there at the court house they didn't laugh / 'Cause to type it up it took the whole staff / And when they got through the title weighed sixty pounds.

   1976, “One Piece at a Time”, Wayne Kemp (music), performed by Johnny Cash

   Time is running out, so I renounce a spin on a Class 387 for a fast run to Paddington on another Class 800 - a shame as the weather was perfect for pictures. Even so, it's enjoyable - boy, can those trains shift under the wires.

   2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68

10. countableuncountableA bundle of spun material; a mass of strands and filaments.

    She left him alone, and went to get Annie a spin of toffee.

    1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter 1, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC

11. countableuncountableA single play of a record; especially, one broadcast by a radio station.

    Let's give this classic LP another spin.

    1 more example

    Although the Loveless title showed the smallest increase in airplay in the top 10, its number of detections outpaced the nearest bulleted title by more than 350 spins.

    1996, Billboard, volume 108, number 12, page 37

12. UKcountableslanguncountableA search of a prisoner's cell for forbidden articles.

    Mr Weedon explains that this is a cell search - known by prisoners as a spin - and for obvious reasons it has to be carried out without any warning.

    2002, Jeffrey Archer, A Prison Diary

13. countabledateduncountableAn unmarried woman; a spinster.

    1893, Bithia Mary Croker, "To Let" in "To Let" etc., Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1906, p. 1, https://archive.org/details/toletcroker00crok Some years ago, when I was a slim young spin, I came out to India to live with my brother Tom […]

14. uncountableThe use of an exercise bicycle, especially as part of a gym class.

    Synonyms: spinning

plural spins

1. abbreviationclippingnauticalClipping of spinnaker.

   “Frank!” Joe yelled. “Run the spin halyard to the cabin-top winch and pass me the free end!”

   2021 22 April, “jdale” (username), Course for Catastrophe, chapter 4

plural spins · alternative SpIn

1. slangautismA special interest of an autistic person.

   berdly if your friends were homestuck characters who would they be. //sorry autism wants me dead, berdlys my fav character and hs is my spin. you will never heard the end of it from me

   2024 April 15, @XxKilla_KrisxX, Twitter

   Synonyms: spinterest