Definition of SWIRL

swirl

Plural: swirls

Noun

  • the shape of something rotating rapidly
  • A whirling eddy.
  • A twist or coil of something.
  • The upward rushing of a fish through the water to take the bait.
  • Interracial mingling (e.g. dating, sex, marriage, etc.).

Verb

Verb Forms: swirled, swirling, swirls

  • To move with a whirling motion.
  • turn in a twisting or spinning motion
    • "The leaves swirled in the autumn wind"
  • flow in a circular current, of liquids
  • To twist or whirl, as an eddy.
  • To be arranged in a twist, spiral or whorl.
  • To circulate.
  • To mingle interracially.

Examples

  • I swirled my brush around in the paint.
  • She told that white boy she wasn't down with the swirl and to take himself a hike.
  • The tiles seemed to swirl into place, forming a perfect seven-letter word on the Words With Friends board.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English swirlen (“to eddy, swirl”), probably from Old Norse *svirla (“to swirl”), a frequentative form of Old Norse sverra (“to swing, twirl”). Cognate with Scots swirl, sworl (“to eddy, swirl”), Norwegian Nynorsk svirla (“to whirl around; swirl”), Swedish sorla (“to murmur, buzz”), Dutch zwirrelen (“to swirl”). Compare also West Frisian swiere (“to reel, whirl”), Dutch zwieren (“to reel, swing around”), German Low German swirren (“to whizz, whirl or buzz around”), German schwirren (“to whirr, whizz, buzz”), Swedish svirra (“to whirr about, buzz, hum”), Danish svirre (“to whizz, whirr”). Related to English swarm.

Scrabble Score: 8

swirl: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
swirl: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
swirl: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

swirl: valid Words With Friends Word