1. spin(n = noun.event) - a swift whirling motion (usually of a missile);
is a kind of gyration, revolution, rotation
has particulars: backspin, english, side, topspin
2. spin(n = noun.act) twirl, twist, twisting, whirl - the act of rotating rapidly; "he gave the crank a spin"; "it broke off after much twisting"
is a kind of rotary motion, rotation
has particulars: pirouette, birling, logrolling
Derived forms verb spin1, verb spin3
3. spin(n = noun.act) - a short drive in a car; "he took the new car for a spin"
is a kind of drive, ride
4. spin(n = noun.act) tailspin - rapid descent of an aircraft in a steep spiral;
is a kind of acrobatics, aerobatics, stunt flying, stunting
5. spin(n = noun.act) - a distinctive interpretation (especially as used by politicians to sway public opinion); "the campaign put a favorable spin on the story"
is a kind of interpretation, rendering, rendition
1. spin(v = verb.motion) gyrate, reel, spin around, whirl - revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis; "The dervishes whirl around and around without getting dizzy"
is one way to go around, revolve, rotate
Derived forms noun spin2, noun spinner3
Sample sentences:
The coins spin ; These balls spin easily
2. spin(v = verb.motion) - stream in jets, of liquids; "The creek spun its course through the woods"
is one way to stream, well out
Sample sentences:
Something ----s; Something is ----ing PP
3. spin(v = verb.motion) birl, twirl, whirl - cause to spin; "spin a coin"
is one way to circumvolve, rotate
Derived forms noun spin2, noun spinner2
Sample sentences:
They spin the coin
4. spin(v = verb.creation) - make up a story; "spin a yarn"
is one way to cook up, fabricate, invent, make up, manufacture
Sample sentences:
Somebody ----s something
5. spin(v = verb.creation) - form a web by making a thread; "spiders spin a fine web"
is one way to create from raw material, create from raw stuff
Sample sentences:
Something ----s something
6. spin(v = verb.contact) - work natural fibers into a thread; "spin silk"
is one way to distort, twine, twist
Derived forms noun spinner1, noun spinning1
Sample sentences:
Somebody ----s; Somebody ----s something
7. spin(v = verb.communication) - twist and turn so as to give an intended interpretation; "The President's spokesmen had to spin the story to make it less embarrassing"
is one way to lay out, present, represent
Sample sentences:
Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something
8. spin(v = verb.change) spin out - prolong or extend; "spin out a visit"
is one way to draw out, extend, prolong, protract
Sample sentences:
Somebody ----s
1. To draw out, and twist into threads, either by the hand or machinery; as, to spin wool, cotton, or flax; to spin goat's hair; to produce by drawing out and twisting a fibrous material. [1913 Webster]
"All the yarn she [Penelope] spun in Ulysses' absence did but fill Ithaca full of moths." [1913 Webster]
2. To draw out tediously; to form by a slow process, or by degrees; to extend to a great length; -- with out; as, to spin out large volumes on a subject. [1913 Webster]
"Do you mean that story is tediously spun out?" [1913 Webster]
3. To protract; to spend by delays; as, to spin out the day in idleness. [1913 Webster]
"By one delay after another they spin out their whole lives." [1913 Webster]
4. To cause to turn round rapidly; to whirl; to twirl; as, to spin a top. [1913 Webster]
5. To form (a web, a cocoon, silk, or the like) 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. [1913 Webster]
6. 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. [1913 Webster]
1. To practice spinning; to work at drawing and twisting threads; to make yarn or thread from fiber; as, the woman knows how to spin; a machine or jenny spins with great exactness. [1913 Webster]
"They neither know to spin, nor care to toll." [1913 Webster]
2. To move round rapidly; to whirl; to revolve, as a top or a spindle, about its axis. [1913 Webster]
"Round about him spun the landscape,
Sky and forest reeled together." [1913 Webster]
"With a whirligig of jubilant mosquitoes spinning about each head." [1913 Webster]
3. To stream or issue in a thread or a small current or jet; as, blood spinsfrom a vein. Shak. [1913 Webster]
4. To move swifty; as, to spin along the road in a carriage, on a bicycle, etc. [1913 Webster]
1. The act of spinning; as, the spin of a top; a spin a bicycle. [1913 Webster]
2. Velocity of rotation about some specified axis. [1913 Webster]
3. an interpretation of an event which is favorable to the interpreter or to the person s/he supports. A person whose task is to provide such interpretations for public relations purposes is called a spin doctor. [PJC]
spin, v. & n.
--v. (spinning; past and past part. spun)
1 intr. & tr. turn or cause (a person or thing) to turn or whirl round quickly.
2 tr. (also absol.) a draw out and twist (wool, cotton, etc.) into threads. b make (yarn) in this way. c make a similar type of thread from (a synthetic substance etc.).
3 tr. (of a spider, silkworm, etc.) make (a web, gossamer, a cocoon, etc.) by extruding a fine viscous thread.
4 tr. tell or write (a story, essay, article, etc.) (spins a good tale).
5 tr. impart spin to (a ball).
6 intr. (of a person's head etc.) be dizzy through excitement, astonishment, etc.
7 tr. shape (metal) on a mould in a lathe etc.
8 intr. esp. Cricket (of a ball) move through the air with spin.
9 tr. (as spun adj.) converted into threads (spun glass; spun gold; spun sugar).
10 tr. fish in (a stream, pool, etc.) with a spinner.
11 tr. toss (a coin).
12 tr. = spin-dry.
--n.
1 a spinning motion; a whirl.
2 an aircraft's diving descent combined with rotation.
3 a a revolving motion through the air, esp. in a rifle bullet or in a billiard, tennis, or table tennis ball struck aslant. b Cricket a twisting motion given to the ball in bowling.
4 colloq. a brief drive in a motor vehicle, aeroplane, etc., esp. for pleasure.
5 Physics the intrinsic angular momentum of an elementary particle.
6 Austral. & NZ sl. a piece of good or bad luck.
Idiom:
spin bowler Cricket an expert at bowling with spin. spin-drier a machine for drying wet clothes etc. centrifugally in a revolving drum. spin-dry (-dries, -dried) dry (clothes etc.) in this way. spin off throw off by centrifugal force in spinning. spin-off n. an incidental result or results esp. as a side benefit from industrial technology. spin out
1 prolong (a discussion etc.).
2 make (a story, money, etc.) last as long as possible.
3 spend or consume (time, one's life, etc., by discussion or in an occupation etc.).
4 Cricket dismiss (a batsman or side) by spin bowling. spin a yarn orig. Naut. tell a story. spun silk a cheap material made of short-fibred and waste silk. spun yarn Naut. a line formed of rope-yarns twisted together.
Etymology:
OE spinnan
VB reject, set aside, lay aside, give up, decline, exclude, except, pluck, spin, cast, repudiate, scout, set at naught, fling to the winds, fling to the dogs, fling overboard, fling away, cast to the winds, cast to the dogs, cast overboard, cast away, throw to the winds, throw to the dogs, throw overboard, throw away, toss to the winds, toss to the dogs, toss overboard, toss away, send to the right about, disclaim, discard.
VB rotate, roll along, revolve, spin, turn round, circumvolve, circulate, gyre, gyrate, wheel, whirl, pirouette, twirl, trundle, troll, bowl, roll up, furl, wallow, welter, box the compass, spin like a top, spin like a teetotum, spin out.
electron spin resonance, spin around, spin doctor, spin drier, spin dryer, spin off, spin out, spin the bottle, spin the plate, spin the platter