verb
whirl
wurl
verb
1
To spin or turn around quickly.
"The dancers whirled across the floor to the music."
"Leaves whirled around in the autumn wind."
noun
1
A rapid spinning motion, or a confused, busy flurry of activity.
"Her mind was a whirl of anxious thoughts before the interview."
"The city was a whirl of noise and colour during the festival."
How to Use Whirl
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo spin quickly, or a state of rapid, confusing activity.
Common pairings
a whirl of activity
give it a whirl
whirl around
Word Forms
whirled past tense, whirls plural, whirls singular
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Etymology
From Middle English whirlen, related to Old English hweorfan, "to turn" — the same root that eventually gave English the word "wharf".