birl

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“
A compendium of greatest hits, plus a poetic "birl" (spin) from Seamus Heaney, it seems to be modelled on the Burns night, with O'Hagan, a lively novelist and cultural commentator, playing MC.

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Definitions (14)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. transitive verb To cause (a floating log) to spin rapidly by rotating with the feet.
  2. intransitive verb To participate in birling.
  3. intransitive verb To spin.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (6)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (2)

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Examples (8)

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This word has been looked up 74 times.

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Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Blend of birr1 and whirl.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. Scots and English dial., also burl, from Middle English birlen, byrlen, from Anglo-Saxon byrelian, byrlian, birlian (later Icelandic byrla), pour out drink, from byrcle (later Icelandic byrli), a cupbearer, butler (perhaps connected with Old Saxon biril = Old High German biril, a basket), properly a carrier, bearer, from beran, bear: see bear.
  2. apparently imitative; cf. birr, bur, whirl, whir, tirl, etc.
 

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/bərl/
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