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Another word for whirl

a-z
Verb

  1. To rotate rapidly

      1. To rotate or revolve briskly; swing in a circle; spin:
      2. To twist or wind around:
      3. To move or spin around rapidly, suddenly, or repeatedly:
      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.
      1. To rotate rapidly; whirl.
      2. To have a sensation of whirling, as from dizziness; reel:
      3. To make thread or yarn by drawing out and twisting fibers.
    See also:

    repetition

  2. To move or cause to move like a rapid rotary current of liquid

      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.
      1. A current, as of water or air, moving contrary to the direction of the main current, especially in a circular motion.
      2. A drift or tendency that is counter to or separate from a main current, as of opinion, tradition, or history.
      3. To move in or as if in an eddy or eddies:
    See also:

    repetition

    move

  3. To have the sensation of turning in circles

      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.
      1. To move through or on top of water by moving the limbs, fins, or tail or by undulating the body:
      2. To play or relax in water:
      3. To float on water or another liquid:
      1. To rotate rapidly; whirl.
      2. To have a sensation of whirling, as from dizziness; reel:
      3. To make thread or yarn by drawing out and twisting fibers.
      1. A device, such as a cylinder, spool, or frame, that turns on an axis and is used for winding and storing rope, tape, film, or other flexible materials.
      2. A cylindrical device attached to a fishing rod to let out or wind up the line.
      3. The quantity of wire, film, or other material wound on one reel.
    See also:

    repetition

  4. To move swiftly

      1. To seize and pinch or bite:
      2. To remove or sever by pinching or snipping:
      3. To bite or sting with the cold; chill.
      1. A cocktail served in a tall glass and consisting of liquor, such as whiskey, mixed with water or a carbonated beverage.
      2. A railroad signal indicating full speed ahead.
      3. A high-speed train.
      1. A large cylindrical container, usually made of staves bound together with hoops, with a flat top and bottom of equal diameter.
      2. The quantity that a barrel with a given or standard capacity will hold.
      3. Any of various units of volume or capacity. In the US Customary System it varies, as a liquid measure, from 31 to 42 gallons (117 to 159 liters) as established by law or usage.
      1. To cut, tear apart, or tear away roughly or energetically.
      2. To cause to be pulled apart, as by an accident:
      3. To split or saw (wood) along the grain.
      1. To go in haste. Often used with it :
      2. In haste.
      3. The practical joke of lighting a match that has been secretly inserted between the sole and upper of a victim's shoe.
      1. To make a continuous low-pitched buzzing or humming sound:
      2. To move while making such a sound:
      3. To move rapidly:
      1. A brief sharp hissing sound.
      2. Energy; vim:
      3. A zipper.
      1. One of a pair of movable appendages used for flying, as the feather-covered modified forelimb of a bird or the skin-covered modified forelimb of a bat or pterosaur.
      2. One of the one or two pairs of membranous structures used for flying that extend from the thorax of an insect.
      3. A structure or part used by an animal for gliding through the air, as the folds of skin of a flying squirrel or the enlarged pectoral fins of a flying fish.
      1. To make a whirring or hissing sound, as of an object speeding through air.
      2. To move or do something quickly:
      3. To pass quickly:
      1. To move or cause to move with quick light sweeping motions:
      2. To whip (eggs or cream).
      3. To move lightly, nimbly, and rapidly.
      1. The gait of a horse or other four-footed animal, between a walk and a canter in speed, in which diagonal pairs of legs move forward together.
      2. A ride on a horse moving with this gait.
      3. A gait of a person, faster than a walk; a jog.
      1. To pull apart or into pieces by force; rend.
      2. To cause to be pulled apart unintentionally, as by accident:
      3. To lacerate (the skin, for example).
      1. The act or an instance of sprinting, especially a short race at top speed.
      2. A burst of speed or activity.
      3. To move rapidly or at top speed for a brief period, as in running or swimming.
      1. Distance traveled divided by the time of travel.
      2. The limit of this quotient as the time of travel becomes vanishingly small; the first derivative of distance with respect to time.
      3. The magnitude of a velocity.
      1. To hit, wound, or kill with a missile fired from a weapon.
      2. To remove or destroy by firing or projecting a missile:
      3. To make (a hole, for example) by firing a weapon.
      1. To clean, polish, or wash by scrubbing vigorously:
      2. To remove by scrubbing:
      3. To remove dirt or grease from (cloth or fibers) by means of a detergent.
      1. To move or go suddenly and speedily; hurry.
      2. To squirt with water:
      1. A piece of fabric sewn together and fitted to the spars and rigging of a vessel so as to convert the force of the wind into forward motion of the vessel.
      2. The sails of a ship or boat.
      3. A narrow fairwater supporting the bridge of a submarine.
      1. To move swiftly; hurry:
      2. To act with great haste:
      3. To make a sudden or swift attack or charge:
      1. To move swiftly on foot so that both or all feet are not on the ground during each stride.
      2. To retreat rapidly; flee:
      3. To depart; leave:
      1. A rocket engine.
      2. A vehicle or device propelled by one or more rocket engines, especially such a vehicle designed to travel through space.
      3. A projectile weapon carrying a warhead that is powered and propelled by rockets.
      1. A group of people identified as distinct from other groups because of supposed physical or genetic traits shared by the group. Most biologists and anthropologists do not recognize race as a biologically valid classification, in part because there is more genetic variation within groups than between them.
      2. A group of people united or classified together on the basis of common history, nationality, or geographic distribution:
      3. A genealogical line; a lineage.
      1. The skin of an animal with the fur or hair still on it.
      2. A stripped animal skin ready for tanning.
      1. To move or act energetically and rapidly:
      2. To push or force one's way.
      3. To act aggressively, especially in business dealings.
      1. To move or act with speed or haste.
      2. To cause to move or act with speed or haste:
      3. To cause to move or act with undue haste; rush:
      1. To move or act swiftly.
      2. To cause to move or act swiftly:
      3. To cause to happen sooner than otherwise would be the case:
      1. Rapidity of action or motion:
      2. Rash or headlong action; precipitateness:
      3. To hasten or cause to hasten.
      1. To move through the air by means of wings or winglike parts.
      2. To travel by air:
      3. To operate an aircraft or spacecraft.
      1. To move about rapidly and nimbly.
      2. To move quickly from one condition or location to another.
      3. A fluttering or darting movement.
      1. A number of warships operating together under one command.
      2. A group of vessels or vehicles, such as taxicabs or fishing boats, owned or operated as a unit.
      1. To burst forth into or as if into flame.
      2. To give off light or be lighted in sudden or intermittent bursts.
      3. To appear or occur suddenly:
      1. To move with haste; rush:
      2. To strike violently; smash:
      3. To break or smash by striking violently:
      1. A slender, pointed missile, often having tail fins, thrown by hand, shot from a blowgun, or expelled by an exploding bomb.
      2. A game in which such missiles are thrown at a target.
      3. An object likened to such a missile.
      1. To move or cause to move energetically and busily.
      2. Excited and often noisy activity; a stir.
      1. A cylindrical vessel used for holding or carrying liquids or solids; a pail.
      2. The amount that a bucket can hold:
      3. A unit of dry measure in the US Customary System equal to 2 pecks (17.6 liters).
      1. A bar made of wood or metal that slides into a socket and is used to fasten doors and gates.
      2. A metal bar or rod in the mechanism of a lock that is thrown or withdrawn by turning the key.
      3. A fastener consisting of a threaded pin or rod with a head at one end, designed to be inserted through holes in assembled parts and secured by a mated nut that is tightened by applying torque.
    Idioms:
    See also:

    move

Noun

  1. Circular movement around a point or about an axis

      1. A solid disk or a rigid circular ring connected by spokes to a hub, designed to turn around an axle passed through the center.
      2. The steering device on a vehicle.
      3. A potter's wheel.
      1. To cause to move around an axis or center; cause to rotate or revolve:
      2. To cause to move around in order to achieve a result, such as opening, closing, tightening, or loosening:
      3. To alter or control the functioning of (a mechanical device, for example) by the use of a rotating or similar movement:
      1. The act or process of turning around a center or an axis:
      2. A single complete cycle of such motion.
      3. A transformation of a coordinate system in which the new axes have a specified angular displacement from their original position while the origin remains fixed.
      1. Orbital motion about a point, especially as distinguished from axial rotation:
      2. A turning or rotational motion about an axis.
      3. A single complete cycle of such orbital or axial motion.
      1. The act of gyrating.
      2. Circular or spiral motion.
      3. An oscillation or varying between states:
      1. the act of rolling or turning around a center or axis
      2. a fold, twist, or spiral
      3. a circuitous course or form
      1. Movement in a circle or circuit, especially the movement of blood through bodily vessels as a result of the heart's pumping action.
      2. Movement or passage through a system of vessels, as of water through pipes; flow.
      3. Free movement or passage.
      1. A closed, usually circular line that goes around an object or area.
      2. The region enclosed by such a line.
      3. A path or route the complete traversal of which without local change of direction requires returning to the starting point.
    See also:

    repetition

    geometry

  2. Agitated, excited movement and activity

      1. A rapidly rotating current of water; a vortex.
      2. Something, such as a situation, that is confusing or tumultuous and is easy to be drawn into or difficult to get out of:
      3. A bathtub or pool having jets of warm water that can be directed toward a body part as for therapeutic purposes.
      1. To pass an implement through (a liquid, for example), usually in circular motions, so as to mix or cool the contents:
      2. To use an implement to move or rearrange the fuel in (a fire) to increase light or heat.
      3. To add or mix in (an ingredient, for example) into a liquid or mixture by moving an implement:
      1. A brief, light snowfall.
      2. A sudden gust of wind.
      3. A stirring mass, as of leaves or dust; a shower.
      1. To move or cause to move energetically and busily.
      2. Excited and often noisy activity; a stir.
    See also:

    calm

  3. A trip in a motor vehicle

      1. To rotate rapidly; whirl.
      2. To have a sensation of whirling, as from dizziness; reel:
      3. To make thread or yarn by drawing out and twisting fibers.
      1. To move swiftly on foot so that both or all feet are not on the ground during each stride.
      2. To retreat rapidly; flee:
      3. To depart; leave:
      1. To be carried or conveyed, as in a vehicle or on horseback.
      2. To participate in a board sport such as snowboarding.
      3. To travel over a surface:
      1. To push, propel, or press onward forcibly; urge forward:
      2. To repulse or put to flight by force or influence:
      3. To guide, control, or direct (a vehicle).
    See also:

    move

  4. A brief trial

      1. To strike (someone or something) with a sharp blow; slap.
      2. To kill deliberately; murder.
      3. To deal a sharp, resounding blow.
      1. The firing or discharge of a weapon, such as a gun.
      2. The distance over which something is shot; the range.
      3. An attempt to hit a target with a projectile:
      1. To throw with violence:
      2. To put or send suddenly or unexpectedly:
      3. To engage (oneself) in an activity with abandon and energy.
      1. To make an effort to do or accomplish (something); attempt:
      2. To taste, sample, or otherwise test in order to determine strength, effect, worth, or desirability:
      3. To make an effort to open (a closed door or window).
      1. To pierce or wound with or as if with a pointed weapon.
      2. To plunge (a pointed weapon or instrument) into something.
      3. To make a thrusting or poking motion at or into:
      1. To move or travel; proceed:
      2. To move away from a place; depart:
      3. To pursue a certain course:
      1. To break without complete separation of parts:
      2. To break or snap apart:
      3. To make a sharp snapping sound:
    See also:

    try

© Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Another word for whirl

Noun

  1. Rapid rotating motion

      1. To produce a vibrating or buzzing sound or move while making such a sound:
      2. To cause to make or move with such a sound:
      3. A sound of buzzing or vibration:
      1. To rise and move in a billowing or swelling manner.
      2. To roll or be tossed about on waves, as a boat.
      3. To move like advancing waves:
      1. A device, such as a cylinder, spool, or frame, that turns on an axis and is used for winding and storing rope, tape, film, or other flexible materials.
      2. A cylindrical device attached to a fishing rod to let out or wind up the line.
      3. The quantity of wire, film, or other material wound on one reel.
      1. The act of gyrating.
      2. Circular or spiral motion.
      3. An oscillation or varying between states:
      1. To rotate rapidly; whirl.
      2. To have a sensation of whirling, as from dizziness; reel:
      3. To make thread or yarn by drawing out and twisting fibers.
      1. A brief, light snowfall.
      2. A sudden gust of wind.
      3. A stirring mass, as of leaves or dust; a shower.
      1. To cause to move around an axis or center; cause to rotate or revolve:
      2. To cause to move around in order to achieve a result, such as opening, closing, tightening, or loosening:
      3. To alter or control the functioning of (a mechanical device, for example) by the use of a rotating or similar movement:
      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.
    See also:

    revolution

  2. Confusion

Verb
© WEBSTER’S NEW WORLD® ROGET’S A-Z THESAURUS by Charlton Laird and the editors of Webster’s New World dictionaries. Copyright © 1999 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Sentence Examples

  • Coleridge was soon in the full whirl of excitement.

  • Trans., 1894) investigated the question for the cases of loaded and unloaded shafts, and, owing to the complication arising from the application of the general theory to the cases of loaded shafts, devised empirical formulae for the critical speeds of shafts loaded with heavy pulleys, based generally upon the following assumption, which is stated for the case of a shaft carrying one pulley: If Ni, N1 be the separate speeds of whirl of the shaft and pulley on the assumption that the effect of one is neglected when that of the other is under consideration, then the resulting speed of whirl due to both causes combined may be taken to be of the form N1N2~!

  • So a black whirl and torment of rapine, violence and fraud was encircling the Western world, as a life went out which, notwithstanding some eccentricities and some aberrations, had made great tides in human destiny very luminous.

  • My head is starting to whirl.

  • Over-the-knee and thigh-high leather boots are best worn with skin-tight jeans or leggings, so buy a pair and give them a whirl!

More sentences →

Words that mention whirl in the Dictionary

Words near whirl in the Thesaurus