whirl

present singular third person whirls · participle present whirling · participle past whirled · past whirled

1. intransitiveTo rotate, revolve, spin or turn rapidly.

   The dancer whirled across the stage, stopped, and whirled around to face the audience.

   1 more example

   The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon.

   1900 May 17, L[yman] Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] M[elvin] Hill Co., →OCLC

2. intransitiveTo have a sensation of spinning or reeling.

   My head is whirling after all that drink.

   1 more example

   My brained ^([sic]) whirled as he went on, but yet there was a fearful impression that the worst was not told.

   1861, E. J. Guerin, Mountain Charley, page 13

   Synonyms: swim, reel

3. transitiveTo make something or someone whirl.

   The dancer whirled his partner round on her toes.

   1 more example

   He whirls his sword around without delay.

   1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

4. transitiveTo remove or carry quickly with, or as with, a revolving motion; to snatch.

   The passionate heart of the poet is whirl’d into folly.

   1855, Alfred Tennyson, “(please specify the page)”, in Maud, and Other Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC

   3 more examples

   See, see the chariot, and those rushing wheels, / That whirled the prophet up at Chebar flood.

   c. 1630, John Milton, “The Passion”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC

   To-night the winds begin to rise ⁠And roar from yonder dropping day: ⁠The last red leaf is whirl’d away, The rooks are blown about the skies; […]

   1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XV”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 24

   The deluge poured over the fields and meadows, whirling away trees, cattle, men and houses.

   1918, James George Frazer, Folk-Lore In The Old Testament, volume 1, page 150

plural whirls

1. An act of whirling.

   She gave the top a whirl and it spun across the floor.

2. Something that whirls, such as a whirlwind.
3. A confused tumult.
4. A rapid series of events.

   My life is one social whirl.

5. Dizziness or giddiness.

   My mind was in a whirl.

6. idiomaticinformalA brief experiment or trial.

   OK, let's give it a whirl.