/ wɜːl; NAmE wɜːrl/ noun
1.
a pattern made by a curved line that forms a rough circle, with smaller circles inside bigger ones :
the whorls on your fingertips
2.
( technical ) a ring of leaves, flowers, etc. around the stem of a plant
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (denoting a small flywheel): apparently a variant of whirl , influenced by Old English wharve whorl of a spindle .