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# whirr

verb (whirr, whirrs, whirred, whirring); noun (a whirr); US spelling whir

«whirr» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To make a soft, steady buzzing sound like something spinning fast, such as a fan, a camera or wings. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whirr/#m1)
2. (noun) That sound. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whirr/#m2)
3. To move fast with such a sound. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whirr/#m3)

### In the lessons

It is a sound word (it sounds like the noise it names). In stories, machines, fans, wheels and hummingbird wings whirr. "My mind was whirring" means thoughts were spinning fast. Phrases: "whirr into life", "the whirr of the fan".

### Examples

- The fan whirred softly in the hot classroom. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whirr/#x1)
- We heard the whirr of the hummingbird's wings. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whirr/#x2)
- The old computer whirred into life. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whirr/#x3)
- The sewing machine whirred as Nan sewed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whirr/#x4)
- My mind was whirring with ideas for the story. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whirr/#x5)
- The drone whirred over the playing field. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whirr/#x6)
- "Whirr, whirr," went the wheel so quickly that the flax could not collect its thoughts. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whirr/#x7)

### Note

UK spelling: whirr (double r); US spelling: whir. Past: whirred; -ing form: whirring (double r in both spellings). Do not confuse with "whirl" (to spin round fast) or "were".

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «whirr» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/whirr/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«whirr» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/whirr.html) on Mova free.