Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To produce a vibrating or buzzing sound or move while making such a sound.
- intransitive verb To cause to make or move with such a sound.
- noun A sound of buzzing or vibration.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To fly, dart, revolve, or otherwise move quickly with a whizzing or buzzing sound; whizz.
- To hurry away with a whizzing sound.
- noun The buzzing or whirring sound made by a quickly revolving wheel, a partridge's wings, etc.
- noun A turn; commotion.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To whirl round, or revolve, with a whizzing noise; to fly or more quickly with a buzzing or whizzing sound; to whiz.
- transitive verb rare To hurry a long with a whizzing sound.
- noun A buzzing or whizzing sound produced by rapid or whirling motion
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Alternative spelling of
whirr . - verb Alternative spelling of
whirr .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb make a soft swishing sound
- noun sound of something in rapid motion
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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With a low whistle, he brought his gun quickly down from his shoulder as a partridge, rising with a gentle whir from the red-topped orchard grass in front of him, skimmed lightly into the golden pathway the sun made through the mist.
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As I smoked I heard the game begin again -- with a miss in balk this time, for the whir was a short one.
Indian Tales Rudyard Kipling 1900
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As I smoked I heard the game begin again, -- with a miss in balk this time, for the whir was a short one.
The Phantom Rickshaw and Other Ghost Stories Rudyard Kipling 1900
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As I smoked I heard the game begin again, -- with a miss in balk this time, for the whir was a short one.
The Lock and Key Library Classic Mystery and Detective Stories: Modern English Egerton Castle 1889
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But there is an unmistakable kind of whir and hum in the air.
Midterm Roundup 2009
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There came a "whir" from a fan above, and a tinkle from a small bell somewhere near at hand.
Vanished towers and chimes of Flanders George Wharton Edwards 1904
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Add in the nice low rumble and that unique "whir" and that is when it hits you how good it is to have purchased solid tools to assist as you strive to be like David Marks/Norm (even if you know you'll never come close).
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I ordered the 7200 rpm drive and I have noticed that it will continuously "whir" up and down.
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In the distance, the drum of hooves on the Kenyan savanna faded away and the whir of insects filled the vacuum.
Miracles, Inc. T.J. Forrester 2011
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The Toyota Prius reduces a tank full of exhaust to the whir of a hybrid electric/ gas engine.
Robert F. Brands: Greenwashing: Electric Cars and Innovation Stalled Robert F. Brands 2011
rolig commented on the word whir
also whirr.
December 12, 2007