whorled

adjective

ˈ(h)wȯr(-ə)ld

ˈ(h)wər(-ə)ld

: having or arranged in whorls

leaves whorled at the nodes of the stem

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The williwaw, a gale-force wind that came rolling down the mountain gathering speed, was depicted as a whorled cloud. —

Nancy Lord, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Sep. 2022 Popp, Marcus, Doubleday and Gange returned to the site together this spring and confirmed the presence of small whorled pogonia, which were in bloom at the time. —

CBS News, 9 June 2022 Monū creates elaborate cloud shapes and regal masks that extend past the face and the top of the head, each densely thatched with synthetic blooms, some in neon brights and powder pinks, others evoking the small red heilala or white whorled tiare. —

New York Times, 17 Feb. 2022 Now, a new study, published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience, reveals that the whorled ridges of our fingerprints may help explain the extraordinary sensitivity of human touch, reports Nicola Davis for the Guardian. —

Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Mar. 2021 Its whorled shoots are tiny, typically shorter than eight inches and less than an inch thick. —

Marion Renault, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2019 Its leaves are narrow and whorled, and flowers are green and white with tinges of purple. —

Margaret Lauterbach, idahostatesman, 18 Oct. 2017 True to its name, the foot-long snail kite eats only snails—its hooked beak is the ideal shape for plucking muscular morsels from whorled shells. —

National Geographic, 18 May 2016 McCormick analyzed the DNA of soil samples collected immediately adjacent to wild small-whorled pogonias, and used that data to calculate how much Russulaceae hyphae was present in the soil at each site. —

Jackson Landers, Smithsonian, 19 Jan. 2017 See More

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