v. & n.
v. (spinning; past and past part. spun) 1 intr. & tr. turn or cause (a person or thing) to turn or whirl round quickly. 2 tr. (also absol.) a draw out and twist (wool, cotton, etc.) into threads. b make (yarn) in this way. c make a similar type of thread from (a synthetic substance etc.). 3 tr. (of a spider, silkworm, etc.) make (a web, gossamer, a cocoon, etc.) by extruding a fine viscous thread. 4 tr. tell or write (a story, essay, article, etc.) (spins a good tale). 5 tr. impart spin to (a ball). 6 intr. (of a person's head etc.) be dizzy through excitement, astonishment, etc. 7 tr. shape (metal) on a mould in a lathe etc. 8 intr. esp. Cricket (of a ball) move through the air with spin. 9 tr. (as spun adj.) converted into threads (spun glass; spun gold; spun sugar). 10 tr. fish in (a stream, pool, etc.) with a spinner. 11 tr. toss (a coin). 12 tr. = spin-dry.
n. 1 a spinning motion; a whirl. 2 an aircraft's diving descent combined with rotation. 3 a a revolving motion through the air, esp. in a rifle bullet or in a billiard, tennis, or table tennis ball struck aslant. b Cricket a twisting motion given to the ball in bowling. 4 colloq. a brief drive in a motor vehicle, aeroplane, etc., esp. for pleasure. 5 Physics the intrinsic angular momentum of an elementary particle. 6 Austral. & NZ sl. a piece of good or bad luck. spin bowler Cricket an expert at bowling with spin. spin-drier a machine for drying wet clothes etc. centrifugally in a revolving drum. spin-dry (-dries, -dried) dry (clothes etc.) in this way. spin off throw off by centrifugal force in spinning. spin-off n. an incidental result or results esp. as a side benefit from industrial technology. spin out 1 prolong (a discussion etc.). 2 make (a story, money, etc.) last as long as possible. 3 spend or consume (time, one's life, etc., by discussion or in an occupation etc.). 4 Cricket dismiss (a batsman or side) by spin bowling. spin a yarn orig. Naut. tell a story. spun silk a cheap material made of short-fibred and waste silk. spun yarn Naut. a line formed of rope-yarns twisted together.
[ OE spinnan ]