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Spin

//spɪn// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun

1
Rapid circular motion. countable, uncountable
"The car went into a spin."
2
Clipping of spinnaker. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
"“Frank!” Joe yelled. “Run the spin halyard to the cabin-top winch and pass me the free end!”"
3
A special interest of an autistic person. slang
"berdly if your friends were homestuck characters who would they be. //sorry autism wants me dead, berdlys my fav character and hs is my spin. you will never heard the end of it from me"
4
a distinctive interpretation (especially as used by politicians to sway public opinion) wordnet
5
A state of confusion or disorientation. countable, uncountable
"My mind was in a spin."

Show 16 more definitions

6
rapid descent of an aircraft in a steep spiral wordnet
7
A quantum angular momentum associated with subatomic particles, which also creates a magnetic moment. countable, uncountable
8
a short drive in a car wordnet
9
A novel, creative variation of an existing thing or type; a twist. countable, uncountable
"The media has been having a field day not only with the usual tired homophobic innuendos (which one has come to expect) but with new spins on queer bashing that might even seem inventive if they were not so hateful."
10
the act of rotating rapidly wordnet
11
A favourable comment or interpretation intended to bias opinion on an otherwise unpleasant situation. countable, figuratively, uncountable
"spin doctor"
12
a swift whirling motion (usually of a missile) wordnet
13
Rotation of the ball as it flies through the air; sideways movement of the ball as it bounces. countable, uncountable
14
A condition of flight where a stalled aircraft is simultaneously pitching, yawing, and rolling in a spinning motion. countable, uncountable
15
An abnormal condition in journal bearings where the bearing seizes to the rotating shaft and rotates inside the journal, destroying both the shaft and the journal. countable, uncountable
16
A brief trip by vehicle, especially one made for pleasure. countable, uncountable
"I'm off out for a spin in my new sports car."
17
A bundle of spun material; a mass of strands and filaments. countable, uncountable
"She left him alone, and went to get Annie a spin of toffee."
18
A single play of a record; especially, one broadcast by a radio station. countable, uncountable
"Let's give this classic LP another spin."
19
A search of a prisoner's cell for forbidden articles. UK, countable, slang, uncountable
"Mr Weedon explains that this is a cell search - known by prisoners as a spin - and for obvious reasons it has to be carried out without any warning."
20
An unmarried woman; a spinster. countable, dated, uncountable
"1893, Bithia Mary Croker, "To Let" in "To Let" etc., Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1906, p. 1, https://archive.org/details/toletcroker00crok Some years ago, when I was a slim young spin, I came out to India to live with my brother Tom […]"
21
The use of an exercise bicycle, especially as part of a gym class. uncountable

Verb

1
To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction. ergative
"I spun myself around a few times."
2
prolong or extend wordnet
3
To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction.; To enter, or remain in, a spin (abnormal stalled flight mode). ergative
4
twist and turn so as to give an intended interpretation wordnet
5
To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction.; To cause one's aircraft to enter or remain in a spin (abnormal stalled flight mode). ergative

Show 24 more definitions

6
work natural fibers into a thread wordnet
7
To make yarn by twisting and winding fibers together. transitive
"They spin the cotton into thread."
8
form a web by making a thread wordnet
9
To present, describe, or interpret, or to introduce a bias or slant, so as to give something a favorable or advantageous appearance. figuratively
"But because he is but briefe, and these things of great consequence not to be kept obscure, I shall conceave it nothing above my duty either for the difficulty or the censure that may passe thereon, to communicate such thoughts as I also have had, and do offer them now in this generall labour of reformation, to the candid view both of Church and Magistrate; especially because I see it the hope of good men, that those irregular and unspirituall Courts have spun their utmost date in this Land; and some beter course must now be constituted."
10
make up a story wordnet
11
To make the ball move sideways when it bounces on the pitch.
"This pitch is usually preferred for spin than pace."
12
revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis wordnet
13
To move sideways when bouncing.
"Spinning the ball gave him figures of 7-48."
14
cause to spin wordnet
15
To form into thin strips or ribbons, as with sugar
16
stream in jets, of liquids wordnet
17
To form (a web, a cocoon, silk, etc.) 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.
"I spin a thread that you can't see / A web of thoughts best left unclean"
18
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.
19
To move swiftly.
"to spin along the road in a carriage, on a bicycle, etc."
20
To stream or issue in a thread or a small current or jet.
"Blood spins from a vein."
21
To wait in a loop until some condition becomes true. intransitive
22
To rotate into the gravel or managing to remain on the straight as a result of bad weather. intransitive
"His car spun in the rains just after finishing lap four."
23
To play (vinyl records, etc.) as a disc jockey. informal, transitive
"However, for the past six years he has been spinning his novel blend of progressive house and trance music and is finally on the brink of becoming the next luminary DJ."
24
To use an exercise bicycle, especially as part of a gym class. intransitive
25
To ride a bicycle at a fast cadence. intransitive
26
To search rapidly. UK, slang, transitive
"But then again, unless someone struck lucky in those first few hours, there weren't even enough detectives to spin a drum [house]."
27
To draw out tediously; prolong. transitive
"to spin a yarn"
28
To fish with a swivel or spoonbait.
29
To reject at an examination; to fail (a student). archaic, slang, transitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English spinnen, from Old English spinnan, from Proto-Germanic *spinnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)penh₁-. Cognates Cognate with Dutch, German spinnen (“to spin”), Luxembourgish spannen (“to spin”), Yiddish שפּינען (shpinen, “spin”), Danish spinde (“to spin”), Faroese, Icelandic and Swedish spinna (“to spin”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk spinne (“to spin”), Gothic 𐍃𐍀𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (spinnan, “to spin”).

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

Clipping of special interest.

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