swirl

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English

A swirl in water

Etymology

From Middle English swirlen (to eddy, swirl), probably from Old Norse *svirla (to swirl), a frequentative form of Old Norse sverra (to swing, twirl). Cognate with Scots swirl, sworl (to eddy, swirl), Norwegian Nynorsk svirla (to whirl around; swirl), Swedish sorla (to murmur, buzz), Dutch zwirrelen (to swirl). Compare also West Frisian swiere (to reel, whirl), Dutch zwieren (to reel, swing around), German Low German swirren (to whizz, whirl or buzz around), German schwirren (to whirr, whizz, buzz), Swedish svirra (to whirr about, buzz, hum), Danish svirre (to whizz, whirr). Related to English swarm.

Pronunciation

Verb

swirl (third-person singular simple present swirls, present participle swirling, simple past and past participle swirled)

  1. (ambitransitive) To twist or whirl, as an eddy.
    I swirled my brush around in the paint.
    • 1857, Charles Kingsley, “(please specify the page)”, in Two Years Ago, volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC:
      The river swirled along.
    • 2012 May 13, Alistair Magowan, “Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport:
      The contest was a lot more even in the second half, as the wind swirled around the Stadium of Light, but it took Craig Gardner's superb block to prevent Young getting on the scoresheet.
  2. To be arranged in a twist, spiral or whorl.
  3. (figuratively) To circulate.
  4. (African-American Vernacular, dated) To mingle interracially.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

swirl (plural swirls)

  1. A whirling eddy.
  2. A twist or coil of something.
  3. (fishing) The upward rushing of a fish through the water to take the bait.
  4. (African-American Vernacular, dated) Interracial mingling (e.g. dating, sex, marriage, etc.).
    She told that white boy she wasn't down with the swirl and to take himself a hike.
    • 2023, Yomi Adegoke, The List, 4th Estate, page 198:
      In truth, it was more to do with keeping up with the latest gossip on YouTube famous interracial ‘swirl’ couples and reality stars.

Derived terms

Translations