swirl
Use Swirl in a sentence
verb (used without object)
1.
to move around or along with a whirling motion; whirl; eddy.
2.
to be dizzy or giddy, as the head.
verb (used with object)
3.
to cause to whirl; twist.
Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English (north) < Scandinavian; compare Norwegian svirla; cognate with Dutch zwirrelen to whirl, German (dial.) schwirrlen to totter; all < a root *swir- (whence Danish svirre to whirl, German schwirren to whir) + -l- frequentative suffix
1375–1425; late Middle English (north) < Scandinavian; compare Norwegian svirla; cognate with Dutch zwirrelen to whirl, German (dial.) schwirrlen to totter; all < a root *swir- (whence Danish svirre to whirl, German schwirren to whir) + -l- frequentative suffix
Related forms
swirl·ing·ly, adverb
out·swirl, verb (used with object)
Synonyms
2. reel, spin.
2. reel, spin.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To swirl
00:10
Swirl
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is absquatulate. Does it mean:
| to flee; abscond: |
| to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
swirl (swɜːl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to turn or cause to turn in a twisting spinning fashion |
| 2. | (intr) to be dizzy; swim: my head was swirling |
| —n | |
| 3. | a whirling or spinning motion, esp in water |
| 4. | a whorl; curl |
| 5. | the act of swirling or stirring |
| 6. | dizzy confusion |
| [C15: probably from Dutch zwirrelen; related to Norwegian svirla, German schwirren] | |
| 'swirling | |
| —adj | |
| 'swirlingly | |
| —adv | |
| 'swirly | |
| —adj | |
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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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
swirl
early 15c., "whirlpool, eddy," originally Scottish, perhaps related to dialectal Norw. svirla or Du. zwirrelen "to whirl." The meaning "whirling movement" is from 1818. The verb is attested from 1510s, with an isolated instance from 14c.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Dark, husky aromas swirl through the palace as incense made specially of local spices finds its way into the thick tropical air.
Swirl the mold and deckle until the screen surface is covered with pulp.
Ominous sounds percolate amid a foreboding swirl of nighttime snow.
Ice particles collide as they swirl around in a storm, causing a separation of electrical charges.
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