spin
Noun · VerbOpen English WordNet
Verb (8)spinning, spun, spins, spined
- revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis“The dervishes whirl around and around without getting dizzy”Synonyms: spin aroundwhirlreelgyrateMore general revolve, go aroundMore specific whirligig
- stream in jets, of liquids“The creek spun its course through the woods”More general stream, well outMore specific centrifuge, centrifugate
- cause to spin“spin a coin”Synonyms: whirlbirltwirlMore general rotate, circumvolve
- make up a story“spin a yarn”More general fabricate, manufacture
- form a web by making a thread“spiders spin a fine web”More general create from raw material, create from raw stuffInvolves extrude, squeeze out
- work natural fibers into a thread“spin silk”More general twist, twine
- twist and turn so as to give an intended interpretation“The President's spokesmen had to spin the story to make it less embarrassing”
- prolong or extend“spin out a visit”Synonyms: spin out
Noun (5)spins
- a swift whirling motion (usually of a missile)Type of rotation, revolutionKinds English, backspin, topspin
- the act of rotating rapidly“he gave the crank a spin”“it broke off after much twisting”Synonyms: twirltwisttwistingwhirlType of rotation, rotary motionKinds pirouette, birling
- a short drive in a car“he took the new car for a spin”Type of drive, ride
- rapid descent of an aircraft in a steep spiralSynonyms: tailspinType of acrobatics, aerobatics
- a distinctive interpretation (especially as used by politicians to sway public opinion)“the campaign put a favorable spin on the story”Type of rendition, rendering
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Verb to make yarn
Verb to turn around quickly
- Spanish
- girar
- German
- rotieren
- Italian
- girare
- Portuguese
- girar
- Russian
- враща́ться vraščátʹsja
- Arabic
- دار dāra
- Chinese
- 转动 zhuǎndòng
- Polish
- wirować
- Swedish
- snurra
- Greek
- περιστρέφω peristréfo
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: AS. spinnan; akin to D. & G. spinnen, Icel. & Sw. spinna, Dan. spinde, Goth. spinnan, and probably to E. span. √170. Cf. Span, transitive verb, Spider.
1. To draw out, and twist into threads, either by the hand or machinery; as, to spin wool, cotton, or flax; to spin goat's hair; to produce by drawing out and twisting a fibrous material.
All the yarn she [Penelope] spun in Ulysses' absence did but fill Ithaca full of moths.— William Shakespeare
2. To draw out tediously; to form by a slow process, or by degrees; to extend to a great length; — with out; as, to spin out large volumes on a subject.
Do you mean that story is tediously spun out?— Richard B. B. Sheridan
3. To protract; to spend by delays; as, to spin out the day in idleness.
By one delay after another they spin out their whole lives.— Sir Roger L'Estrange
4. To cause to turn round rapidly; to whirl; to twirl; as, to spin a top.
5. To form (a web, a cocoon, silk, or the like) from threads produced by the extrusion of a viscid, transparent liquid, which hardens on coming into contact with the air; — said of the spider, the silkworm, etc.
6. Mechanics To shape, as malleable sheet metal, into a hollow form, by bending or buckling it by pressing against it with a smooth hand tool or roller while the metal revolves, as in a lathe.
To spin a yarn Nautical, to tell a story, esp. a long or fabulous tale. — To spin hay Military, to twist it into ropes for convenient carriage on an expedition. — To spin street yarn, to gad about gossiping. Collog.
1. To practice spinning; to work at drawing and twisting threads; to make yarn or thread from fiber; as, the woman knows how to spin; a machine or jenny spins with great exactness.
They neither know to spin, nor care to toll.— Matthew Prior
2. To move round rapidly; to whirl; to revolve, as a top or a spindle, about its axis.
Round about him spun the landscape, Sky and forest reeled together.— Henry W. Longfellow
With a whirligig of jubilant mosquitoes spinning about each head.— George W. Cable
3. To stream or issue in a thread or a small current or jet; as, blood spinsfrom a vein. William Shakespeare
4. To move swiftly; as, to spin along the road in a carriage, on a bicycle, etc. colloquial
1. The act of spinning; as, the spin of a top; a spin a bicycle. colloquial
2. Kinematics Velocity of rotation about some specified axis.
3. Politics an interpretation of an event which is favorable to the interpreter or to the person s/he supports. A person whose task is to provide such interpretations for public relations purposes is called a spin doctor.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54 · with additions: GCIDE editors
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing
<programming, jargon> Equivalent to buzz. More common among C and Unix programmers. [Jargon File]
(2008-01-21)
The Jargon File
Equivalent to buzz. More common among C and Unix programmers. See the discussion of ‘spinlock’ under busy-wait.