whirl

Etymology 1

From Middle English whirlen, contracted from earlier *whirvelen, *whervelen, possibly from Old English *hwyrflian, *hweorflian (attested in hwirflung, hwerflung (“change, vicissitude”)), frequentative form of Old English hweorfan (“to turn”), itself from Proto-West Germanic *hweban, from Proto-Germanic *hwerbaną (“to turn”); or perhaps from Old Norse hvirfla (“to go round, spin”). Cognate with Dutch wervelen (“to whirl, swirl”), German wirbeln (“to whirl, swirl”), Danish hvirvle (“to whirl”), Swedish virvla (older spelling hvirfla), Albanian vorbull (“a whirl”). Related to whirr and wharve.

verb

1. (intransitive) To rotate, revolve, spin or turn rapidly.
   The dancer whirled across the stage, stopped, and whirled around to face the audience.
   He whirls his sword around without delay.
2. (intransitive) To have a sensation of spinning or reeling.
   My head is whirling after all that drink.
3. (transitive) To make something or someone whirl.
   The dancer whirled his partner round on her toes.
4. (transitive) To remove or carry quickly with, or as with, a revolving motion; to snatch.

Etymology 2

From Middle English whirl, wherwille, whorwhil, wervel, from Old English hwirfel, hwyrfel (“whirlpool”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwirbil, from Proto-Germanic *hwirbilaz, *hwarbilaz (“swirl, whirl, whirlpool”), equivalent to wharve + -el; and also Old Norse hvirfill (“ring, circle, crown”), whence Danish hvirvel (“cowlick”), Dutch werveling (“whirling, vortex”), German Low German Warvel (“whirl, whirlpool”), German Wirbel (“whirl, whirlpool”).

noun

1. An act of whirling.
   She gave the top a whirl and it spun across the floor.
2. Something that whirls.
3. A confused tumult.
4. A rapid series of events.
   My life is one social whirl.
5. Dizziness or giddiness.
   My mind was in a whirl.
6. (informal) (usually following “give”) A brief experiment or trial.
   OK, let's give it a whirl.