/hwerrl, hwawrl, werrl, wawrl/ , n.
1. a circular arrangement of like parts, as leaves or flowers, around a point on an axis; verticil.
2. one of the turns or volutions of a spiral shell.
3. anything shaped like a coil.
4. one of the central ridges of a fingerprint, forming at least one complete circle.
5. Textiles. a flywheel or pulley, as for a spindle.
[ 1425-75; late ME whorle, whorvil, wharwyl, OE hwyrfel, equiv. to hweorfa whorl of a spindle + -el n. suffix ]