I. R ˈtwərl, esp before pause or consonant ˈtwər.əl; -R ˈtwə̄l or ˈtwəil verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect tvirla, tvilla to spin, twirl; akin to Frisian dwerlje, dwirlje to whirl, Middle Dutch dwerelen to whirl, Old High German dweran to stir — more at turbid
intransitive verb
1. : to revolve rapidly : become whirled round : spin
twirling about the floor
2. : to writhe like a snake : move with sinuous twisting motion : undulate
3. : to pitch in a baseball game
transitive verb
1.
a. : to rotate rapidly : cause to take a circular, curving, or spiral course : spin , twist , whirl
twirled his moustaches
she twirled the beater furiously — Christopher Bloom
twirled an auburn curl about her finger
spied two policemen twirling their billies — W.A.Swanberg
b. : to flourish (a drum major's baton) in more or less elaborate whirling figures
2. : pitch 3b(2)
Synonyms: see turn
II. noun
( -s )
1. : an act of rotating or spinning something or of revolving : a rapid circling or turning : whirl
stood watching a skater's twirls and figure eights
the flash and twirl of batons to strident martial music
2. : something that turns or is turned or has a round or spiral form : coil , convolution , twist , whorl
distinctive loops and twirls of individual handwriting
the spiral twirl of a seashell