whire.html - var. of WHIRR.

whire.html - v. & n.
--v.

1 tr. & intr. swing round and round; revolve rapidly.
2 tr. & intr. (foll. by away) convey or go rapidly in a vehicle etc.
3 tr. & intr. send or travel swiftly in an orbit or a curve.
4 intr. a (of the brain, senses, etc.) seem to spin round. b (of thoughts etc.) be confused; follow each other in bewildering succession.

--n.

1 a whirling movement (vanished in a whirl of dust).
2 a state of intense activity (the social whirl).
3 a state of confusion (my mind is in a whirl).
4 colloq. an attempt (give it a whirl).

whirling dervish see DERVISH .

whirler n. whirlingly adv. [ME: (v.) f. ON hvirfla: (n.) f. MLG & MDu. wervel spindle & ON hvirfill circle f. Gmc]

whire.html - n.
1 a spinning or whirling toy.
2 a merry-go-round.
3 a revolving motion.
4 anything regarded as hectic or constantly changing (the whirligig of time).
5 any freshwater beetle of the family Gyrinidae that circles about on the surface. [ME f. WHIRL + obs. gig whipping-top]

whire.html - n.
a powerful circular eddy in the sea etc. often causing suction to its centre.

whire.html - n.
1 a mass or column of air whirling rapidly round and round in a cylindrical or funnel shape over land or water.
2 a confused tumultuous process.
3 (attrib.) very rapid (a whirlwind romance).

reap the whirlwind suffer worse results of a bad action.

whire.html - n.
colloq. a helicopter.