whorl

Everyday

1. A whorl is a pattern of curved lines that go round and round, like a spiral. tree →
2. In fingerprints, a whorl is a circle or spiral pattern in the middle of the print. tree →
3. In plants, a whorl is a ring of leaves or petals growing around a stem at the same point. tree →
4. A whorl is one turn of a shell's spiral. tree →

In the lessons

Used in science (fingerprints in forensic investigation, plant structure, shells) and art. Fingerprint types: arches, loops and whorls.

Examples

• My thumbprint has a whorl in the middle. tree →
• Fingerprints have loops, arches and whorls. tree →
• The snail shell has five whorls. tree →
• The leaves grow in a whorl around the stem. tree →
• The wood showed whorls where the branches had been. tree →
• She painted a whorl of blue and white in the sky. tree →

Note

Pronounced «whurl» or «wawl», rhymes with «world» without the d in many accents. Do not confuse with «whirl» (to spin fast) or «world».