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swirl

 - 2 dictionary results

swirl

  [swurl] ,
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.
–noun
4. a swirling movement; whirl; eddy.
5. a twist, as of hair around the head or of trimming on a hat.
6. any curving, twisting line, shape, or form.
7. confusion; disorder.
Origin:
1375–1425; late ME (north) < Scand; cf. Norw svirla; c. D zwirrelen to whirl, G (dial.) schwirrlen to totter; all < a root *swir- (whence Dan svirre to whirl, G schwirren to whir) + -l- freq. suffix

Related forms:
swirl⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
2. reel, spin.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To swirl
swirl   (swûrl)   
v.   swirled, swirl·ing, swirls

v.   intr.

  1. To move with a twisting or whirling motion; eddy.

  2. To be dizzy or disoriented.

  3. To be arranged in a spiral, whorl, or twist.

v.   tr.

  1. To cause to move with a twisting or whirling motion. See Synonyms at turn.

  2. To form into or arrange in a spiral, whorl, or twist.

n.  

  1. A whirling or eddying motion or mass: a swirl of white water.

  2. Something, such as a curl of hair, that coils, twists, or whirls.

  3. Whirling confusion or disorder: "high-pressure farce built around the swirl of mistaken identities" (Jay Carr).


[Middle English swyrl, eddy, probably of Low German or Scandinavian origin.]
swirl'y adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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