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twirl

(twûrl)

v. twirled, twirl·ing, twirls

v.tr.

1. To rotate or revolve briskly; swing in a circle; spin: twirled a baton to lead the band.

2. To twist or wind around: twirl thread on a spindle.

v.intr.

1. To move or spin around rapidly, suddenly, or repeatedly: The pinwheel twirled in the breeze.

2. To whirl or turn suddenly; make an about-face: twirled in the direction of the noise.

3. Baseball To pitch.

1. The act of twirling or the condition of being twirled; a quick spinning or twisting.

2. Something twirled; a twist: a twirl of cotton candy.

[Origin unknown.]

twirler n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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