whirl

Word family

whirl1 /wɜːl $ wɜːrl/ verb → whorl

1 [intransitiveI, transitiveT]TURN to turn or spin around very quickly, or to make someone or something do this (使)急转；(使)迅速旋转

We watched the seagulls whirling and shrieking over the harbour.

我们看海鸥在港口上空盘旋鸣叫。

whirl about/around/towards etc

She whirled around and her look shook him.

她猛地转身，脸上的表情让他震惊。

whirl somebody/something about/around/away etc

He whirled her round in his arms.

他抱着她转了起来。

2 [intransitiveI]CONFUSED if your head is whirling, or if thoughts are whirling in your head, your mind is full of thoughts and ideas, and you feel very confused or excited 〔思绪〕混乱

His head was whirling with excitement.

他激动得思绪万千。

The implications began to whirl around in her head.

各种可能的后果在她脑子里转来转去。

Examples from the Corpus

whirl• Scooping the cup from the workstation with her good hand, she whirled around and flung its contents into Atrimonides' face.• Dust and sand were whirling around in the air, as the desert wind began to get stronger.• Pigeons whirled around it like wind tossed rags.• Clayt Johnson whirled around, squinted and looked the man up and down.• The room began to whirl before my eyes.• Sugar maple seeds, like little helicopters, had whirled in the wind and settled under the trees in the fall.• Katena danced away, whirled into the sky, and disappeared.• The blades of the helicopter whirled powerfully overhead.• He had pointed it at another boy, then whirled round, honed in on Kayla and opened fire.• But as I whirled round I saw that she had already taken off most of her clothes.• Flies whirled round the piles of sticky sweets.• Whirl the ingredients in a blender at high speed for a minute.• The warriors approached, whirling their swords and spears in the air.• The distaff whirled, twisting the threads.

whirl about/around/towards etc• Scooping the cup from the workstation with her good hand, she whirled around and flung its contents into Atrimonides' face.• Should the Fanatic start to whirl about anywhere near them they know they are in trouble!• The winds of deception whirl around her, but the new leader persists, without success, in stressing work-related activities.• She felt the room recede sharply then start to whirl around her head.• Clayt Johnson whirled around, squinted and looked the man up and down.• And Earth is not just another planet whirling around the sun on its endless journey through infinite space.• When he reached the open doorway he booted the parcel into the room and whirled around to slam the door behind him.• The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air.

whirl2 noun

1 give something a whirl informalTRY something TO SEE IF IT IS GOODTRY TO DO OR GET something to try something that you are not sure you are going to like or be able to do 尝试某事

Why don’t you give golf a whirl?

为什么不试试高尔夫球呢？

Examples from the Corpus

give something a whirl• So when you see me overtaking, stop shouting and give it a whirl.• Kathryn Baron gives it a whirl and doesn't look back.• There was also some excitement on the oil pitch, with a number of old stories given another whirl.• I had learned two, at that point, and was disappointed not to have a chance to give them a whirl.• I intend to remain faithful, simply because I've given infidelity a whirl and it doesn't work for me.• Why don't you give golf a whirl?

2 [singular]BUSY/HAVE A LOT TO DO a lot of activity of a particular kind 接连不断的活动

the social whirl of New York publishing

纽约出版界纷繁的社交活动

whirl of

The next two days passed in a whirl of activity.

接下来的两天在忙乱中度过。

3 be in a whirl to feel very excited or confused about something 十分兴奋；一片混乱

His mind was in a whirl and he was worried.

他脑子乱作一团，忧心忡忡。

Examples from the Corpus

be in a whirl• His mind was in a whirl and he was worried.• From that minute she was in a whirl.

4 TURN[countableC usually singular] a spinning movement or the shape of something that is spinning 旋转；回旋

whirl of

A car rumbled over the bumpy dirt road, leaving behind a whirl of white dust.

一辆汽车隆隆地驶过坑坑洼洼的泥路，扬起一阵白尘。

Examples from the Corpus

whirl• The next two days passed in a whirl of activity.• The next couple of weeks were spent in a whirl of feverish activity.• a whirl of dust• Sally lived in a happy whirl marred only by worrying about how far she should go.• The recent whirl of legal problems has left him little time for his family.• It was all part of the mad social whirl that young women of her age had to endure.• The whirl of time, the true life inside him.

social whirl• A month of arguing in Florida did no favours to the organisers of the inaugural social whirl.• It was all part of the mad social whirl that young women of her age had to endure.• She was quickly caught up in the Southampton social whirl.• Stewart loved the trips to Avon and the social whirl that dominated his life.• She's all for the social whirl of Mayfair or Bond Street, while I like my peace and quiet.

Origin whirl1

(1200-1300) Probably from a Scandinavian language

whirl1 verbwhirl2 noun

Chinese

Corpus