pinwheel

1 of 2

noun

pin·​wheel ˈpin-ˌ(h)wēl How to pronounce pinwheel (audio)
1
: a fireworks device in the form of a revolving wheel of colored fire
2
: a toy consisting of lightweight vanes that revolve at the end of a stick
3
: something (such as a galaxy) shaped like a pinwheel

pinwheel

2 of 2

verb

pinwheeled; pinwheeling; pinwheels

intransitive verb

: to move like a pinwheel

Examples of pinwheel in a Sentence

Verb the kayaker had got sucked into the whirlpool, and his kayak was pinwheeling helplessly
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Both inpatient children and outpatient children joined the first lady in the Bunny Mellon Healing Garden to place rocks, pinwheels and American flags among the plants and flowers. Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2025 During its spring 2025 show, Miu Miu pampered the Plume, Tyre, and Gymnasium sneakers with the ultimate charm treatment, marked by clip-on and thread-through additions that included cutesy fabric pinwheels. Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 29 May 2025
Verb
The free arrows pinwheel around more, stabilizing the magnetic order in the up-down arrows. Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 16 Jan. 2025 Forecasters warned of the arrival Thursday into Friday of a second intensifying low pressure area, which will pinwheel around the first bomb cyclone in an atmospheric interaction known as the Fujiwara Effect. Andrew Freedman, Axios, 18 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for pinwheel

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1907, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pinwheel was in 1765

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pinwheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinwheel. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

pinwheel

noun
pin·​wheel
-ˌhwēl
1
: a fireworks device in the form of a spinning wheel of colored fire
2
: a toy made of fanlike blades that spin in the wind at the end of a stick
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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