whirl

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To revolve rapidly about a center or an axis. See Synonyms at turn.
2. v. To rotate or spin rapidly: The dancer whirled across the stage.
3. v. To turn rapidly, changing direction; wheel: She whirled around to face him.
4. v. To have the sensation of spinning; reel: My head is whirling with data.
5. v. To move circularly and rapidly in varied, random directions: The wind whirled across the steppes.
6. v. To cause to rotate or turn rapidly: whirl a baton.
7. v. To move or drive in a circular or curving course.
8. v. To drive at high speed: whirled the motorcycle around the corner.
9. v. Obsolete To hurl.
10. n. The act of rotating or revolving rapidly.
11. n. Something, such as a cloud of dust, that whirls or is whirled.
12. n. A state of confusion; tumult.
13. n. A swift succession or round of events: the social whirl.
14. n. A state of mental confusion or giddiness; dizziness: My head is in a whirl.
15. n. Informal A short trip or ride.
16. n. Informal A brief or experimental try: Let's give the plan a whirl.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In angling, a spoon-bait.
2. To swing or turn rapidly round; rotate, or cause to revolve rapidly.
3. To cast with a twirling or twisting motion; throw with a rapid whirl.
4. To carry swiftly away with or as if with a revolving or wheeling motion.
5. Synonyms To twirl, spin, revolve, rotate.
6. To turn rapidly; move round with velocity; revolve or rotate swiftly.
7. To pass or move with a rapid whirling motion, or as if on wheels.
8. n. The whorl of a spindle.
9. n. A reel or hook used in rope-making for twisting strands of hemp or gut.
10. n. A rope-winch.
11. n. In botany and conchology See whorl.
12. n. A rapid circling motion or movement, as that of a revolving body; rapid rotation, gyration, or circumvolution: literally and figuratively: as, the whirl of a top or of a wheel; the whirls of fancy.
13. n. Something that whirls, or moves with a rapid circling motion; the circling eddy of a whirlpool, a whirlwind, or the like.

Wiktionary

1. v. To rotate, revolve, spin or turn rapidly.
2. v. To have a sensation of spinning or reeling.
3. v. To make something or someone whirl.
4. n. An act of whirling.
5. n. Something that whirls.
6. n. A confused tumult.
7. n. A rapid series of events
8. n. Dizziness or giddiness.
9. n. A brief experiment or trial.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To turn round rapidly; to cause to rotate with velocity; to make to revolve.
2. v. To remove or carry quickly with, or as with, a revolving motion; to snatch; to harry.
3. v. To be turned round rapidly; to move round with velocity; to revolve or rotate with great speed; to gyrate.
4. v. To move hastily or swiftly.
5. n. A turning with rapidity or velocity; rapid rotation or circumvolution; quick gyration; rapid or confusing motion.
6. n. Anything that moves with a whirling motion.
7. n. A revolving hook used in twisting, as the hooked spindle of a rope machine, to which the threads to be twisted are attached.
8. n. A whorl. See Whorl.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. turn in a twisting or spinning motion
2. n. the act of rotating rapidly
3. v. fly around
4. v. flow in a circular current, of liquids
5. v. revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis
6. n. a usually brief attempt
7. n. confused movement
8. n. the shape of something rotating rapidly
9. v. cause to spin