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¹spin

verb \ˈspin\

: to turn or cause someone or something to turn around repeatedly

: to seem to be moving around in a way that makes you feel dizzy or sick

: to draw out and twist fibers of cotton, wool, silk, etc., into yarn or thread

spun \ˈspən\ spin·ning

Full Definition of SPIN

intransitive verb

: to draw out and twist fiber into yarn or thread

: to form a thread by extruding a viscous rapidly hardening fluid —used especially of a spider or insect

a : to revolve rapidly : gyrate

b : to feel as if in a whirl : reel <my head is spinning>

: to move swiftly especially on or as if on wheels or in a vehicle

: to fish with spinning bait : troll

a of an airplane : to fall in a spin

b : to plunge helplessly and out of control

: to engage in spin control (as in politics)

transitive verb

a : to draw out and twist into yarns or threads

b : to produce by drawing out and twisting a fibrous material

: to form (as a web or cocoon) by spinning

a : to stretch out or extend (as a story) lengthily : protract —usually used with out

b : to evolve, express, or fabricate by processes of mind or imagination <spin a yarn>

: to cause to whirl : impart spin to <spin a top>

: to shape into threadlike form in manufacture; also : to manufacture by a whirling process

: to set (records or compact discs) rotating on a player : play <spin some discs>

: to present (as information) with a particular spin <spin the statistics>

— spin one's wheels

: to make futile efforts to achieve progress

See spin defined for English-language learners

See spin defined for kids

Origin of SPIN

Middle English spinnen, from Old English spinnan; akin to Old High German spinnan to spin and perhaps to Lithuanian spęsti to set (a trap)

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to SPIN

Synonyms: gyrate, pinwheel, pirouette, revolve, roll, rotate, turn, twirl, wheel, whirl

Rhymes with SPIN

bin, blin, chin, din, fin, Finn, Fyn, gin, grin, Gwyn, hin, in, inn, kin, linn, Lynn, pin, shin, Shin, sin, skin, thin, tin, twin, whin, win, wynn, yin, zin

²spin

noun

: the act of turning around and around : an act of spinning

: a rapid turning motion given to a ball by someone who throws or hits it

: a certain way of describing or talking about something that is meant to influence other people's opinion of it

Full Definition of SPIN

a : the act of spinning or twirling something; also : an instance of spinning or of spinning something <doing axels and spins> <an assortment of spins and lobs>

b : the whirling motion imparted (as to a ball or top) by spinning

c : an excursion or ride in a vehicle especially on wheels <go for a spin>

a : an aerial maneuver or flight condition consisting of a combination of roll and yaw with the longitudinal axis of the airplane inclined steeply downward

b : a plunging descent or downward spiral

c : a state of mental confusion <all in a spin>

a : a quantum characteristic of an elementary particle that is visualized as the rotation of the particle on its axis and that is responsible for measurable angular momentum and magnetic moment

b : the angular momentum associated with such rotation whose magnitude is quantized and which may assume either of two possible directions; also : the angular momentum of a system of such particles derived from the spins and orbital motions of the particles

a : a usually ingenious twist <puts an Asian spin on the pasta dishes>

b (1) : a special point of view, emphasis, or interpretation presented for the purpose of influencing opinion <put the most favorable spin on the findings> (2) : spin control

— spin·less \ˈspin-ləs\ adjective

See spin defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of SPIN

1831

Related to SPIN

Synonyms: gyration, pirouette, reel, revolution, roll, rotation, twirl, wheel, whirl

Other Aeronautics/Aerospace Terms

airway, apron, corridor, dirigible, fishtail, flat-hat, vector

SPIN Defined for Kids

¹spin

verb \ˈspin\

spun \ˈspən\spin·ning

Definition of SPIN for Kids

: to turn or cause to turn round and round rapidly : twirl <He fell after spinning in circles.>

: to make yarn or thread from (fibers) <He spun the silk into thread.>

: to make (yarn or thread) from fibers <She was spinning yarn from wool.>

: to form threads or a web or cocoon by giving off a sticky fluid that quickly hardens <A spider was spinning its web.>

: to feel as if in a whirl <My head was spinning.> <The room was spinning.>

: to make up and tell using the imagination <I listened to him spin a tale.>

: to move swiftly on wheels or in a vehicle <The car spun away.>

: to make, shape, or produce by or as if by whirling <The woman spun sugar as a demonstration.>

— spin·ner \ˈspi-nər\ noun

²spin

noun

Definition of SPIN for Kids

: a rapid motion of turning around and around

: a short trip in or on a wheeled vehicle

Medical Dictionary

spin

noun \ˈspin\

Medical Definition of SPIN

: a quantum characteristic of an elementary particle that is visualized as the rotation of the particle on its axis and that is responsible for measurable angular momentum and magnetic moment

: the angular momentum which is associated with spin, whose magnitude is quantized, and which may assume either of two possible directions; also : the angular momentum of a system of elementary particles derived from their spins and orbital motions—see spin echo, spin label