wheelspin

plural wheelspins

1. uncountableusuallyautomotiveThe spinning of the wheels of a vehicle on the surface of the ground with greatly reduced friction and little movement of the vehicle, especially when starting.

   Near-synonym: wheelslip

   1 more example

   A computer detects wheelspin and reduces power.

   2009 August 23, Dexter Ford, “Slip-Sliding Suspended”, in New York Times

   Synonyms: wheelslip

present singular third person wheelspins · participle present wheelspinning · past wheelspun · past wheelspan · past wheelspinned · participle past wheelspun · participle past wheelspinned

1. To drive with poor traction, so that the vehicle exhibits a wheelspin.

   When, suddenly and inexplicably, the car had started he had wheelspun away from the kerb in his effort to keep it going.

   1997, Siri Reynolds, House of Rooms, Edinburgh: Polygon, →ISBN, page 132

   5 more examples

   It was not unusual to see an ice cream van wheelspin away, dragging a runner into the service hatch as it went, especially on the police patches: […]

   1992, Martina Cole, Dangerous Lady, Headline, →ISBN, page 186

   Once my rifle was empty I would need to run across the road and put a bullet into everyone’s brain but it didn’t look like I’d get the chance because suddenly the Merc wheelspan forward and away.

   2003, Danny King, The Hitman Diaries, Serpent’s Tail, →ISBN, page 218

   As soon as the way was clear, Pete threw his Harley into gear and wheelspan out of the showroom and off up Bedford Hill, leaving exhaust fumes and a wall of sound in his wake.

   2004, Razor Smith, A Few Kind Words and a Loaded Gun: The Autobiography of a Career Criminal, Penguin Books, published 2005, →ISBN, page 97

   In the end the Fiesta just wheelspinned off down Deepdale – it was pretty obvious they wouldn’t bring it on the field; it would’ve fallen apart. As the car drove off there was a sad kind of feeling – it was very very late.

   2007, Richard Milward, Apples, Canongate, →ISBN, page 42

   We screamed as we wheelspinned round corners, we made up stories on the dark roads to frighten ourselves, and turned up Junior’s CD to full blast, singing at the top of our voices.

   2007, Catherine MacPhail, Worse Than Boys, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 205

2. To throw up (debris) from a wheelspin.

   With only small encouragement from me, and using skills learned on a racing track, he gunned his Land-Rover forward, cut up the saloon and wheelspan a few stones its way as we turned down an unsurfaced track.

   2007, Anthony Loyd, Another Bloody Love Letter, Headline Review, →ISBN, page 24