1 twirl | Definition of twirl

twirl

verb
\ ˈtwər-(-ə)l How to pronounce twirl (audio) \
twirled; twirling; twirls

Definition of twirl

 (Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to revolve rapidly
2 : to pitch in a baseball game

transitive verb

1 : to cause to rotate rapidly

twirl

noun

Definition of twirl (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an act of twirling
2 : coil, whorl

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Other Words from twirl

Verb

twirler \ ˈtwər-​lər How to pronounce twirler (audio) \ noun

Noun

twirly \ ˈtwər-​lē How to pronounce twirly (audio) \ adjective

Examples of twirl in a Sentence

Verb

They twirled past us on the dance floor. The cheerleaders jumped and twirled. The kite twisted and twirled in the wind. The chef twirled the noodles around his fork.

Noun

The dancers executed perfect twirls. the twirl of the dancer's skirt mesmerized me
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

In the world of Italian food, the only thing that requires more manual dexterity than twirling your pasta is logging in fast enough to get one of the Olive Garden’s coveted passes. Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, "For the first time, Olive Garden will offer a Lifetime Pasta Pass," 12 Aug. 2019 Kookiness radiates from twin sculptural constructions by Jennifer Omaitz, class of 2002, consisting of modern-style houses crashing together as if twirled into heaps by tornadoes. Steven Litt, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Institute of Art alumni show hits the eye like a tall, cool drink on a hot summer day," 4 Aug. 2019 This method shows more promise, Wong says, because the gravitational waves produced by white dwarf binaries are so much stronger than those made by a planet twirling around a lone star. Conor Purcell, Scientific American, "Future Gravitational-Wave Detectors Could Find Exoplanets, Too," 8 July 2019 One night, a psychedelic cumbia band would have a crowd of young people twirling on the dance floor. Kate Linthicum, latimes.com, "A queer bar in Mexico City resists attacks with love," 2 July 2019 Jagger twirled his minuscule hips and gangly limbs in a dance with that rhythm, as if his body were being controlled by the flicks of Watts’ wrists. Greg Kot, chicagotribune.com, "The Rolling Stones review: A rejuvenated Mick Jagger leads the band at Soldier Field," 22 June 2019 After collecting the ball, Crawford twirled and threw to Sandoval who finished the play with a full-extension stretch that left his right hand exposed on the ground next to the first base foul line. Kerry Crowley, The Mercury News, "Welcome to the rivalry: Giants’ Tyler Beede earns first career win at Dodger Stadium," 17 June 2019 Audiences can discover fairies frolicking in the park, swans twirling in tutus, tap dancers paying a tribute to history and hip-hop crews from all over the world, daring to outdo each other. San Diego Union-Tribune, "Summer arts 2019 | Dance: PGK Dance Project, Mojalet Dance Collective, San Diego Civic Youth Ballet and more," 16 June 2019 The ever-so-delightful Frenchie by Greg Marchand twirled into London from Paris three years ago and sits adjacent to the hotel on Henrietta Street. Elizabeth Wellington, Vogue, "Where to Find London’s Hidden French Side," 7 Jan. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Barrel racers did their charge-and-twirl ballet through the oil drum cloverleaf. Mike Sutter, ExpressNews.com, "Review: Rodeo spirit energizes Tejas Steakhouse in Bulverde," 11 July 2019 With posters of the Season 8’s inferno imagery behind her, the actress gave a twirl on the red carpet at Radio City Music Hall creating an otherworldly photo op and a divine fashion moment. Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "Gwendoline Christie Ruled the Game of Thrones Red Carpet in a Gown of Ice and Fire," 4 Apr. 2019 As the pair began their twizzle sequence — a series of synchronized twirls on one foot — the top of Min’s outfit briefly slipped down. Christina Caron, New York Times, "Adding to Olympic Nerves: A Wardrobe Malfunction on Ice," 11 Feb. 2018 About five years ago, Nicchi founded CVT, which stands for chocolate vanilla twirl. Megan Marples And Saeed Ahmed, CNN, "This ice cream truck owner is sick of influencers, and now he's doing something about it," 3 July 2019 His demand that Watts’s Carlson do a twirl in the hallway — and her sly submission to it — are disturbing. Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, "Russell Crowe a force as Roger Ailes in ‘The Loudest Voice’," 26 June 2019 The best way to dodge incoming bullets is to tap the controller’s left bumper which makes your masked gunslinger twirl around like a rampaging dervish. Washington Post, "Nothing but old-fashioned arcade fun in ‘My Friend Pedro’," 21 June 2019 Irma Thomas and Cyril Neville manned the lyrics as Deacon John provided backup vocals and the occasional twirl. Hanna Krueger, nola.com, "“We don’t do pity parties. We do parties”: New Orleans sends Dr. John off in style," 22 June 2019 Megan Rapinoe's twirl and slide after the ninth goal galled some observers. Steven Goff, courant.com, "With larger goals in mind, USWNT says it’s not worried about how it celebrates them," 13 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'twirl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of twirl

Verb

1598, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for twirl

Verb

perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect tvirla to twirl; akin to Old High German dweran to stir

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More Definitions for twirl

twirl

verb

English Language Learners Definition of twirl

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: to turn (something) around and around quickly
: to turn or spin around and around
: to twist or wrap (something) around something

twirl

noun

English Language Learners Definition of twirl (Entry 2 of 2)

: an act of turning or spinning around quickly