whir

play

verb \ˈhwər, ˈwər\

variants: or less commonly

whirr

Definition of whir

whirred

;

whirring

intransitive verb
: to fly, revolve, or move rapidly with a whir hummingbirds whirring past
transitive verb
: to move or carry rapidly with a whir

See whir defined for kids

Examples of whir in a Sentence

the hummingbird whirred as it hovered over a flower
our tires whirred as we traveled over the rough road

Recent Examples of whir from the Web

In cities, families had to fill jugs and bottles from public taps at 3 a.m. In villages, long daily electrical outages stopped fans from whirring and tube wells from pumping water to irrigate parched fields.

— pamela constable, Washington Post, "In Pakistan, scorching Ramadan month highlights chronic water, power shortages.", 28 June 2017
Inside the historical building on Water St., remnants of the brewery's past — low doorways, a spiral staircase, garage doors not big enough for fermentation tanks to get through — mix with the shiny, whirring machines of a successful modern brewery.

— chelsey lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Tour de beer: A biking brewery tour in the Stevens Point area", 22 June 2017
From the looks of things, all Leslie Washington was trying to do was protect her children from the cars whirring around her in the lot of a Subway on Winchester.

— tonyaa weathersbee, USA TODAY, "Column: A 2-year-old with a bullet to the head? For what?", 14 June 2017
The new 3,300-square-foot space may also allow the museum to display a line of sewing machines that, like an assembly line, used to hum and whir throughout the district in its prime.

— matt campbell, kansascity, "Kansas City Museum leases space to enlarge Garment District Museum", 7 June 2017
A giant fermenting tank clanged and whirred behind her, and the air hung heavy with the smell of coconut.

— alejandra borunda, Bon Appetit, "In Pursuit of the Perfect Vegan Yogurt", 15 May 2017
Marketers say the spinner, which whirs hypnotically with the twirl of a finger, can provide comfort in stressful situations and improve focus.

— sammy caiola, sacbee, "Is the fidget spinner an attention helper or just a toy?", 12 May 2017
Females arrive, and the air gets thick with whirring dragonflies.

— sandhya sekar, National Geographic, "Why Female Dragonflies Go to Extreme Lengths to Avoid Sex", 1 May 2017
Ceiling fans whirred softly inside the former antique mall in downtown Chesterton.

— amy lavalley, Post-Tribune, "Once deemed a hazard, Chesterton building breathing new life", 28 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'whir'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of whir

Middle English (Scots) quirren, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish hvirre to whirl, whir

NEW!

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

whir

noun

variants: or less commonly

whirr

Definition of whir

: a continuous fluttering or vibratory sound made by something in rapid motion the whir of machinery

See whir defined for English-language learners

Examples of whir in a Sentence

the whir of a fan
a whir coming from the refrigerator

Recent Examples of whir from the Web

Rowing has a meditative effect, with its rhythmic motion and surreal quiet, apart from breathing, faint splashes, and the whir of the seat rolling back and forth.

— marcia desanctis, Town & Country, "Rowing Is a Full-Body Workout You Can Do at Any Age", 23 June 2017

First Known Use of whir

1677

WHIR Defined for English Language Learners

whir

noun

Definition of whir for English Language Learners

: the sound made by something that is spinning very fast

WHIR Defined for Kids

whir

play

verb \ˈhwər, ˈwər\

Definition of whir for Students

whirred

;

whirring

: to fly, operate, or turn rapidly with a buzzing sound … the machines stopped whirring, and from then on, not a single chocolate … was made. — Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory