whirl

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++whirl1 /wɜːl $ wɜːrl/ verb  1  [intransitive, transitive]TURN to turn or spin around very quickly, or to make someone or something do this (使)急转；(使)迅速旋转 We watched the seagulls whirling and shrieking over the harbour. 我们看海鸥在港口上空盘旋鸣叫。whirl about/around/towards etc She whirled around and her look shook him. 她猛地转身，脸上的表情让他震惊。whirl somebody/something about/around/away etc He whirled her round in his arms. 他抱着她转了起来。2  [intransitive]CONFUSED if your head is whirling, or if thoughts are whirling in your head, your mind is full of thoughts and ideas, and you feel very confused or excited 〔思绪〕混乱 His head was whirling with excitement. 他激动得思绪万千。 The implications began to whirl around in her head. 各种可能的后果在她脑子里转来转去。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

whirl• Scooping the cup from the workstation with her good hand, she whirled around and flung its contents into Atrimonides' face.• Dust and sand were whirling around in the air, as the desert wind began to get stronger.• Pigeons whirled around it like wind tossed rags.• Clayt Johnson whirled around, squinted and looked the man up and down.• The room began to whirl before my eyes.• Sugar maple seeds, like little helicopters, had whirled in the wind and settled under the trees in the fall.• Katena danced away, whirled into the sky, and disappeared.• The blades of the helicopter whirled powerfully overhead.• He had pointed it at another boy, then whirled round, honed in on Kayla and opened fire.• But as I whirled round I saw that she had already taken off most of her clothes.• Flies whirled round the piles of sticky sweets.• Whirl the ingredients in a blender at high speed for a minute.• The warriors approached, whirling their swords and spears in the air.• The distaff whirled, twisting the threads.whirl about/around/towards etc• Scooping the cup from the workstation with her good hand, she whirled around and flung its contents into Atrimonides' face.• Should the Fanatic start to whirl about anywhere near them they know they are in trouble!• The winds of deception whirl around her, but the new leader persists, without success, in stressing work-related activities.• She felt the room recede sharply then start to whirl around her head.• Clayt Johnson whirled around, squinted and looked the man up and down.• And Earth is not just another planet whirling around the sun on its endless journey through infinite space.• When he reached the open doorway he booted the parcel into the room and whirled around to slam the door behind him.• The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air.whirl2 noun  1  give something a whirl informalTRY something TO SEE IF IT IS GOODTRY TO DO OR GET something to try something that you are not sure you are going to like or be able to do 尝试某事 Why don’t you give golf a whirl? 为什么不试试高尔夫球呢？2  [singular]BUSY/HAVE A LOT TO DO a lot of activity of a particular kind 接连不断的活动 the social whirl of New York publishing 纽约出版界纷繁的社交活动whirl of The next two days passed in a whirl of activity. 接下来的两天在忙乱中度过。3  be in a whirl to feel very excited or confused about something 十分兴奋；一片混乱 His mind was in a whirl and he was worried. 他脑子乱作一团，忧心忡忡。4  TURN[countable usually singular] a spinning movement or the shape of something that is spinning 旋转；回旋whirl of A car rumbled over the bumpy dirt road, leaving behind a whirl of white dust. 一辆汽车隆隆地驶过坑坑洼洼的泥路，扬起一阵白尘。

Examples from the Corpus

whirl• The next two days passed in a whirl of activity.• The next couple of weeks were spent in a whirl of feverish activity.• a whirl of dust• Sally lived in a happy whirl marred only by worrying about how far she should go.• The recent whirl of legal problems has left him little time for his family.• It was all part of the mad social whirl that young women of her age had to endure.• The whirl of time, the true life inside him.social whirl• A month of arguing in Florida did no favours to the organisers of the inaugural social whirl.• It was all part of the mad social whirl that young women of her age had to endure.• She was quickly caught up in the Southampton social whirl.• Stewart loved the trips to Avon and the social whirl that dominated his life.• She's all for the social whirl of Mayfair or Bond Street, while I like my peace and quiet.Origin whirl1 (1200-1300) Probably from a Scandinavian language

whirl1 verbwhirl2 nounChinese  

spin Corpus around turn or very quickly, or to to make

whirl

I

whirl¹ /wɜːl $ wɜːrl/ verb1. [intransitive and transitive] to turn or spin around very quickly, or to make someone or something do this:
    We watched the seagulls whirling and shrieking over the harbour.
    whirl about/around/toward etc
    She whirled around and her look shook him.
    whirl somebody/something about/around/away etc
    He whirled her round in his arms.
2. [intransitive] if your head is whirling, or if thoughts are whirling in your head, your mind is full of thoughts and ideas, and you feel very confused or excited:
    His head was whirling with excitement.
    The implications began to whirl around her head.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ turn to move around a central or fixed point: The wheels of the train began to turn.
   ▪ go around (also go round British English) to turn around a central point. Go around is a little more informal than turn and is very common in everyday English: When the fan goes around, the warm air is pushed back downwards.
   ▪ revolve/rotate to turn around and around a central point. Rotate and revolve are more formal than turn and sound more technical: The Earth rotates on its axis once every twenty-four hours. | The stage revolves at various points during the performance.
   ▪ spin to turn around many times very quickly: The ice skater began to spin faster and faster.
   ▪ whirl /wɜːl $ wɜːrl/ to spin around extremely quickly, often in a powerful or uncontrolled way: The blades of the helicopter whirled overhead.
   ▪ twirl (around) to spin around quickly, especially as part of a dance or performance: The couples were twirling around on the dance floor.
   ▪ swirl (around) to move around quickly in a circular movement, especially when the movement goes outwards or upwards from the center: Her white skirt swirled around her legs as she danced. | The leaves began to swirl around.
   ▪ spiral to move in a continuous curve that gets nearer to or further from its central point as it goes around: The smoke spiralled toward the ceiling.

II

whirl² noun
1. give something a whirl informal to try something that you are not sure you are going to like or be able to do:
    Why don’t you give golf a whirl?
2. [singular] a lot of activity of a particular kind:
    the social whirl of New York publishing
    whirl of
    The next two days passed in a whirl of activity.
3. be in a whirl to feel very excited or confused about something:
    His mind was in a whirl and he was worried.
4. [countable usually singular] a spinning movement or the shape of something that is spinning
    whirl of
    A car rumbled over the bumpy dirt road, leaving behind a whirl of white dust.