whir

5 definitions found

whir - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Whir \Whir\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Whirred; p. pr. & vb. n.
     Whirring.] [Perhaps of imitative origin; cf. D. hvirre to
     whirl, and E. hurr, hurry, whirl. ???.]
     To whirl round, or revolve, with a whizzing noise; to fly or
     more quickly with a buzzing or whizzing sound; to whiz.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           The partridge bursts away on whirring wings. --Beattie.
     [1913 Webster]

  Whir \Whir\, v. t. [See Whir to whiz.]
     To hurry a long with a whizzing sound. [R.]
     [1913 Webster]
  
           This world to me is like a lasting storm,
           Whirring me from my friends.             --Shak.
     [1913 Webster]

  Whir \Whir\, n.
     A buzzing or whizzing sound produced by rapid or whirling
     motion; as, the whir of a partridge; the whir of a spinning
     wheel.
     [1913 Webster]

whir - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  whir
      n 1: sound of something in rapid motion; "whir of a bird's
           wings"; "the whir of the propellers" [syn: whir, whirr,
           whirring, birr]
      v 1: make a soft swishing sound; "the motor whirred"; "the car
           engine purred" [syn: whizz, whiz, whirr, whir,
           birr, purr]

whir - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  43 Moby Thesaurus words for "whir":
     angular momentum, angular motion, angular velocity, axial motion,
     birr, bombilate, bombinate, boom, bowling, bum, burr, buzz,
     centrifugation, circulation, circumgyration, circumrotation, drone,
     full circle, gyration, hum, pivoting, purr, reeling, revolution,
     roll, rolling, rotation, rotational motion, spin, spinning,
     swinging, swirling, swiveling, thrum, trolling, trundling,
     turbination, turning, volutation, volution, wheeling, whirling,
     whiz