spin

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verb (used with object)

to make (yarn) by drawing out, twisting, and winding fibers: Pioneer women spun yarn on spinning wheels.

to form (the fibers of any material) into thread or yarn: The machine spins nylon thread.

(of spiders, silkworms, etc.) to produce (a thread, cobweb, gossamer, silk, etc.) by extruding from the body a long, slender filament of a natural viscous matter that hardens in the air.

to cause to turn around rapidly, as on an axis; twirl; whirl: to spin a coin on a table.

Informal. to play (phonograph records): a job spinning records on a radio show.

Metalworking. to shape (sheet metal) into a hollow, rounded form by pressure from a tool while rotating the metal on a lathe or wheel.

to produce, fabricate, or evolve in a manner suggestive of spinning thread: to spin a tale of sailing ships and bygone days.

Rocketry. to cause intentionally (a rocket or guided missile) to undergo a roll.

to draw out, protract, or prolong (often followed by out ): He spun the project out for over three years.

10.

British. to flunk a student in an examination or a term's work.

11.

Slang. to cause to have a particular bias; influence in a certain direction: His assignment was to spin the reporters after the president's speech.

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verb (used without object)

12.

to revolve or rotate rapidly, as the earth or a top.

13.

to produce a thread from the body, as spiders or silkworms.

14.

to produce yarn or thread by spinning.

15.

to move, go, run, ride, or travel rapidly.

16.

to have a sensation of whirling; reel: My head began to spin and I fainted.

17.

to fish with a spinning or revolving bait.

00:10

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to bark; yelp.

to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle.

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noun

18.

the act of causing a spinning or whirling motion.

19.

a spinning motion given to a ball, wheel, axle, or other object.

20.

a downward movement or trend, especially one that is sudden, alarming, etc.: Steel prices went into a spin.

21.

a rapid run, ride, drive, or the like, as for exercise or enjoyment: They went for a spin in the car.

22.

Slang. a particular viewpoint or bias, especially in the media; slant: They tried to put a favorable spin on the news coverage of the controversial speech.

23.

Also called tailspin, tail spin. Aeronautics. a maneuver in which an airplane descends in a vertical direction along a helical path of large pitch and small radius at an angle of attack greater than the critical angle, dangerous when not done intentionally or under control.

24.

Rocketry.

the act of intentionally causing a rocket or guided missile to undergo a roll.

a roll so caused.

25.

Also called spin angular momentum. Physics. the intrinsic angular momentum characterizing each kind of elementary particle, having one of the values 0, ¹ / ₂ , 1, ³ / ₂ , … when measured in units of Planck's constant divided by 2π.

26.

Australian. a run of luck; fate.

Verb phrases

27.

spin off,

to create something new, as a company or assets, without detracting from or affecting the relative size or stability of the original: After the acquisition, the company was required to spin off about a third of its assets.

to derive from or base on something done previously: They took the character of the maid and spun off another TV series.

Idioms

28.

spin one's wheels. wheel ( def 27 ).

29.

spin out, (of an automobile) to undergo a spinout.

Origin:
before 900; Middle English spinnen to spin yarn, Old English spinnan; cognate with Dutch, German spinnen, Old Norse spinna, Gothic spinnan

Related forms

spin·na·bil·i·ty, noun

spin·na·ble, adjective

out·spin, verb (used with object), out·spun, out·spin·ning.

un·spin·na·ble, adjective

Synonyms
7. develop, narrate, relate. 9. extend, lengthen. 11. gyrate. See turn.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins

World English Dictionary

spin (spɪn)

—vb (foll by along) , spins, spinning, spun
1.	to rotate or cause to rotate rapidly, as on an axis
2.	a. to draw out and twist (natural fibres, as of silk or cotton) into a long continuous thread
	b. to make such a thread or filament from (synthetic resins, etc), usually by forcing through a nozzle
3.	(of spiders, silkworms, etc) to form (webs, cocoons, etc) from a silky fibre exuded from the body
4.	(tr) to shape (metal) into a rounded form on a lathe
5.	informal (tr) to tell (a tale, story, etc) by drawing it out at great length (esp in the phrase spin a yarn)
6.	to bowl, pitch, hit, or kick (a ball) so that it rotates in the air and changes direction or speed on bouncing, or (of a ball) to be projected in this way
7.	(intr) (of wheels) to revolve rapidly without causing propulsion
8.	to cause (an aircraft) to dive in a spiral descent or (of an aircraft) to dive in a spiral descent
9.	to drive or travel swiftly
10.	(tr) Also: spin-dry to rotate (clothes) in a washing machine in order to extract surplus water
11.	(intr) to reel or grow dizzy, as from turning around: my head is spinning
12.	(intr) to fish by drawing a revolving lure through the water
13.	informal (intr) to present news or information in a way that creates a favourable impression

—n
14.	a swift rotating motion; instance of spinning
15.	physics
	a. the intrinsic angular momentum of an elementary particle or atomic nucleus, as distinguished from any angular momentum resulting from its motion
	b. S, s a quantum number determining values of this angular momentum in units of the Dirac constant, having integral or half-integral values
16.	a condition of loss of control of an aircraft or an intentional flight manoeuvre in which the aircraft performs a continuous spiral descent because the angle of maximum lift is less than the angle of incidence
17.	a spinning motion imparted to a ball, etc
18.	(in skating) any of various movements involving spinning rapidly on the spot
19.	informal a short or fast drive, ride, etc, esp in a car, for pleasure
20.	informal chiefly (Brit) flat spin a state of agitation or confusion
21.	informal (Austral), (NZ) a period of time or an experience; chance or luck; fortune: a bad spin
22.	informal commerce a sudden downward trend in prices, values, etc
23.	informal the practice of presenting news or information in a way that creates a favourable impression
24.	informal on the spin one after another: they have lost two finals on the spin

[Old English spinnan; related to Old Norse spinna, Old High German spinnan to spin, Lithuanian pinu to braid]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

spin

O.E. spinnan "draw out and twist fibers into thread," from P.Gmc. *spenwanan (cf. O.N., O.Fris. spinna, Dan. spinde, Du. spinnen, O.H.G. spinnan, Ger. spinnen, Goth. spinnan), from PIE *(s)pen- "stretch" (cf. Armenian henum "I weave," Gk. patos "garment, lit. "that which is spun," Lith. pinu "I plait,

braid," spandau "I spin," M.Welsh cy-ffiniden "spider;" see span (v.)). Sense of "to cause to turn rapidly" is from 1612; meaning "revolve, turn around rapidly" first recorded 1667. The noun meaning "fairly rapid ride" is from 1856. Meaning "attempt to influence reporters' minds after an event has taken place but before they have written about it" seems to have risen to popularity in the 1984 U.S. presidential campaign; e.g. spin doctor, first attested 1984. Spinning wheel is attested from 1404; spinning-jenny is from 1783 (see jenny); invented by James Hargreaves c.1764-7, patented 1770. Slang spin off (v.) is from 1957, from the noun phrase, which is first attested 1951, in a corporate sense.

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

spin

(spĭn) Pronunciation Key

The intrinsic angular momentum of a rigid body or particle, especially a subatomic particle. Also called spin angular momentum.
The total angular momentum of a physical system, such as an electron orbital or an atomic nucleus.
A quantum number expressing spin angular momentum; the actual angular momentum is a quantum number multiplied by Dirac's constant. Fermions have spin values that are integer multiples of ¹/₂ , while bosons have spin values that are integer multiples of 1.