twirl

Everyday

1. To twirl is to spin round and round quickly, or to make something spin: she twirled in her new dress. tree →
2. To twirl something is to twist it round your finger: he twirled his hair. tree →
3. A twirl is a quick spin or turn. tree →
4. A twirl is a curly shape or mark, like a loop of icing. tree →

In the lessons

Dance and PE: twirling in ballet or gymnastics with ribbons. Everyday: twirling spaghetti on a fork, twirling a baton in a parade. Stories: a character who twirls a moustache is often shown as a sneaky villain. Phrase: «give us a twirl» (UK: show off your outfit by spinning).

Examples

• She twirled around in her party dress. tree →
• He twirled spaghetti on his fork. tree →
• The majorette twirled her baton. tree →
• Give us a twirl so we can see your costume! tree →
• The villain twirled his moustache. tree →
• The cake had twirls of chocolate on top. tree →
• The dancer did three twirls on one foot. tree →
• “Noo, that ain't,” says he, and he twirled his tail. tree →

Note

Regular verb: twirled, twirling. Similar: spin, whirl, swirl (swirl is usually liquid or air moving round). Do not confuse with «twirly» (informal for curly).