spin

Etymology 1

From Middle English spinnen, from Old English spinnan, from Proto-Germanic *spinnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)penh₁-. Compare Low German spinnen, Dutch spinnen, German spinnen, Danish spinde, Swedish spinna.

verb

1. (ergative) To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction.
   1. (aviation, of an aircraft) To enter, or remain in, a spin (abnormal stalled flight mode).
   2. (aviation, of a pilot) To cause one's aircraft to enter or remain in a spin (abnormal stalled flight mode).
2. (transitive) To make yarn by twisting and winding fibers together.
   They spin the cotton into thread.
   Along the Sunny Bank, or Wat’ry Mead, / Ten thouſand Stalks their various Bloſſoms ſpread : / Peaceful and lowly in their native Soil, / They neither know to ſpin, nor care to toil ; / Yet with confeſs’d Magnificence deride / Our vile Attire, and Impotence of Pride. 1718, Matthew Prior, “Solomon on the Vanity of the World”, in Poems on Several Occasions, volume II, Dublin: George Grierson, published 1738, book I, page 115
3. (figurative) To present, describe, or interpret, or to introduce a bias or slant, so as to give something a favorable or advantageous appearance.
   But because he is but briefe, and these things of great consequence not to be kept obscure, I shall conceave it nothing above my duty either for the difficulty or the censure that may passe thereon, to communicate such thoughts as I also have had, and do offer them now in this generall labour of reformation, to the candid view both of Church and Magistrate; especially because I see it the hope of good men, that those irregular and unspirituall Courts have spun their utmost date in this Land; and some beter course must now be constituted. 1643, John Milton, Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce
   In every administration there will be spokesmen and public affairs officers who try to spin the news to make the president look good. But this administration is trying to spin scientific data and muzzle scientists toward that end. February 9, 2006, “The Politics of Science”, in The Washington Post, page A22
   This past week[…] Republicans completed their journey through the looking-glass, spinning a new counternarrative of that deadly day. 2021-07-31, Lisa Lerer, Nicholas Fandos, “Already Distorting Jan. 6, G.O.P. Now Concocts Entire Counternarrative”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
4. (cricket, of a bowler) To make the ball move sideways when it bounces on the pitch.
5. (cricket, of a ball) To move sideways when bouncing.
6. (cooking) To form into thin strips or ribbons, as with sugar
7. To form (a web, a cocoon, silk, etc.) from threads produced by the extrusion of a viscid, transparent liquid, which hardens on coming into contact with the air; said of the spider, the silkworm, etc.
8. To shape, as malleable sheet metal, into a hollow form, by bending or buckling it by pressing against it with a smooth hand tool or roller while the metal revolves, as in a lathe.
9. To move swiftly.
   to spin along the road in a carriage, on a bicycle, etc.
10. To stream or issue in a thread or a small current or jet.
    Blood spins from a vein.
11. (computing, programming, intransitive) To wait in a loop until some condition becomes true.
12. (transitive, informal) To play (vinyl records, etc.) as a disc jockey.
    However, for the past six years he has been spinning his novel blend of progressive house and trance music and is finally on the brink of becoming the next luminary DJ. 2002, CMJ New Music Report, volume 70, number 12
13. (cycling, intransitive)
    1. To use an exercise bicycle, especially as part of a gym class.
    2. To ride a bicycle at a fast cadence.
14. (UK, law enforcement, slang, transitive) To search rapidly.
    But then again, unless someone struck lucky in those first few hours, there weren't even enough detectives to spin a drum [house]. 2013, Nick Oldham, Psycho Alley

noun

1. Rapid circular motion.
   The car went into a spin.
   The skaters demonstrated their spins.
   He put some spin on the cue ball.
2. A state of confusion or disorientation.
   My mind was in a spin.
3. (physics) A quantum angular momentum associated with subatomic particles, which also creates a magnetic moment.
4. (countable, uncountable) A favourable comment or interpretation intended to bias opinion on an otherwise unpleasant situation.
   Try to put a positive spin on the disappointing sales figures.
   The politician was mocked in the press for his reliance on spin rather than facts.
   He added: "We've always had spin, especially from Government. But this is not spin. This is dishonesty and so it's our rail media's urgent responsibility to call it out because non-specialist journalists across the country will report this and gradually these untruths will be accepted. January 26 2022, Paul Stephen, “Network News: Government's IRP claims condemned as "dishonest"”, in RAIL, number 949, page 7
5. (sports) Rotation of the ball as it flies through the air; sideways movement of the ball as it bounces.
6. (aviation) A condition of flight where a stalled aircraft is simultaneously pitching, yawing, and rolling in a spinning motion.
7. (mechanical engineering) An abnormal condition in journal bearings where the bearing seizes to the rotating shaft and rotates inside the journal, destroying both the shaft and the journal.
8. A brief trip by vehicle, especially one made for pleasure.
   I'm off out for a spin in my new sports car.
   Time is running out, so I renounce a spin on a Class 387 for a fast run to Paddington on another Class 800 - a shame as the weather was perfect for pictures. Even so, it's enjoyable - boy, can those trains shift under the wires. December 2 2020, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68
9. A bundle of spun material; a mass of strands and filaments.
10. A single play of a record by a radio station.
    Although the Loveless title showed the smallest increase in airplay in the top 10, its number of detections outpaced the nearest bulleted title by more than 350 spins. 1996, Billboard, volume 108, number 12, page 37
11. (UK, prison slang) A search of a prisoner's cell for forbidden articles.
    Mr Weedon explains that this is a cell search - known by prisoners as a spin - and for obvious reasons it has to be carried out without any warning. 2002, Jeffrey Archer, A Prison Diary
12. (dated) An unmarried woman; a spinster.
    1893, Bithia Mary Croker, "To Let" in "To Let" etc., Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1906, p. 1, https://archive.org/details/toletcroker00crok Some years ago, when I was a slim young spin, I came out to India to live with my brother Tom […]
13. (uncountable) The use of an exercise bicycle, especially as part of a gym class.

Etymology 2

noun

1. (nautical) Short for spinnaker.
   “Frank!” Joe yelled. “Run the spin halyard to the cabin-top winch and pass me the free end!” 2021 22 April, “jdale” (username), Course for Catastrophe, chapter 4

Etymology 3

Shortening of special interest.

noun

1. (informal, used among autistic people) Special interest of an autistic person.