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swirl Definition

swirl (swʉrl)

intransitive verb

  1. to move with a twisting, whirling motion; eddy
  2. to swim, or be dizzy, as the head

Etymology: ME (Scot) swyrl, prob. < Norw dial. svirla, freq. of sverra, to whirl: for IE base see swarm

transitive verb

to cause to swirl; whirl

noun

  1. a swirling motion; whirl; eddy
  2. something having a twisting, curving form; twist; curl; whirl; whorl
  3. dizzy confusion

swirl Related Forms
swirl·ingly adverb
swirl Synonyms

swirl

n.

  1. Rapid rotating motion

    whirl, twist, surge, spin; see eddy, whirl 1.

  2. A twisting shape

    coil, whorl, twist, curl, whirl.

swirl Synonyms

swirl

v.

eddy, whirl, surge; see roll 3, 6, wave 4.

swirl Usage Examples

Object

  • mist: At night, swirling mist reveals glimpses of its shadowy past.
  • cloud: But they are still tiny sparks in swirling gray clouds.
  • round: Blues, greens, reds, swirling round my field of vision in a kaleidoscope of color.

Converse of object

  • watch: Sit by fire with coffee and watch the snow swirl around outside.

Adjective modifier

  • white: A northerly sweeps the frozen plain lifting the silent snow in white swirls.

Modifies a noun

  • mark: The above photo shows these ' swirl marks ' close up.
  • pot: Alternatively another option would be to use an external swirl pot which is a little more complicated.
  • round: Chemical reeks filled the car as we rolled down the windows to allow the heat to swirl round a bit.

Modifying Another Word

  • gently: You can help this process by gently swirling the bottle but DO NOT SHAKE.
  • about: After a picnic there was a grim steep climb up to an exposed ridge with clouds of fine rain swirling about.
  • away: Then the pike dropped off, swirling away from the sudden indignity in a great huff of silt.

Noun used with modifier

  • chocolate: It was a two tiered Dark Belgian Chocolate cake covered in white chocolate swirls.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • around: Common examples are wind and water swirling around obstructions, or fast flow of any sort.
  • down: CU to shot of water swirling down drain of drinking fountain.

Preposition: of

  • cream: Add salt and pepper to taste and a swirl of cream to garnish.
  • cloud: The satellite picture shows the swirl of cloud around the low with frontal cloud just reaching North Wales.
  • smoke: So Tim lit more matches and we watched the swirls of smoke in vain.
  • wind: Swirls of warm wind raised small clouds of dust.
  • color: Michael Andrews's previously unexhibited Portrait of Roger Daltrey shows the lead singer of The Who caught in a swirl of color.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • around: Murray's narrator has a horrific time: There was black water swirling around my feet.

Browse dictionary entries near swirl

  1. swiple
  2. swipes
  3. swipe
  4. swink
  5. swinish
  6. swingman
  7. swingletree
  8. swingle
  9. swinging door
  10. swinging
  1. swirling
  2. swirly
  3. swish
  4. swishy
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