{
    "term": "whirl",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "whirl",
            "heSheIt": "whirls"
        },
        "pastSimple": "whirled",
        "pastParticiple": "whirled",
        "ingForm": "whirling"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to move, or make somebody/something move, around quickly in a circle or in a particular direction",
            "sensetop": "(+ adv./prep.)whirl somebody/something (+ adv./prep.)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Leaves whirled in the wind.",
                    "contextForm": "(+ adv./prep.)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She whirled around to face him."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They ducked to avoid the whirling blades of the helicopter."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Tom whirled her across the dance floor.",
                    "contextForm": "whirl somebody/something (+ adv./prep.)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He grasped her wrist and whirled her back to face him."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He whirled her around the dance floor."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She whirled on him, furious."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She whirled round and round, flinging out her arms."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The gulls were whirling and shrieking in the sky above."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "spin"
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "if your mind, thoughts, etc. whirl, you feel confused and excited and cannot think clearly",
            "cefr": "c2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I couldn't sleep—my mind was whirling from all that had happened."
                },
                {
                    "text": "So many thoughts whirled around in her mind."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "reel",
            "topics": ["Feelings"]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/wɜːl/",
                "audio": "wh/whirl/whirl__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/wɜːlz/",
                "audio": "wh/whirl/whirls__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/wɜːld/",
                "audio": "wh/whirl/whirled__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈwɜːlɪŋ/",
                "audio": "wh/whirl/whirling__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/wɜːrl/",
                "audio": "wh/whirl/whirl__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/wɜːrlz/",
                "audio": "wh/whirl/whirls__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/wɜːrld/",
                "audio": "wh/whirl/whirled__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈwɜːrlɪŋ/",
                "audio": "wh/whirl/whirling__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: the verb probably from Old Norse hvirfla ‘turn about’; the noun partly from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch wervel ‘spindle’, or from Old Norse hvirfill ‘circle’, from a Germanic base meaning ‘rotate’."
}