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Spin definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SPIN, v.t. pret. and pp. spun. Span is not used. [If the sense is to draw out or extend, this coincides in origin with span.]
1. To draw out and twist into threads, either by the hand or machinery; as, to spin wool, cotton or flax; to spin goats' hair. All the yarn which Penelope spun in Ulysses' absence did but fill Ithaca with moths.
2. To draw out tediously; to form by a slow process of be degrees; with out; as, to spin out large volumes on a subject.
3. To extend to a great length; as, to spin out a subject.
4. To draw out; to protract; to spend by delays; as, to spin out the day in the idleness By one delay after another, they spin out their whole lives.
5. To whirl with a thread; to turn or cause to whirl; as, to spin a top.
6. To draw out from the stomach in a filament; as, a spider spins a web.
TO SPIN HAY, in military language, is to twist it into ropes for convenient carriage on an expedition.
SPIN, v.il.
1. To practice spinning; to work at drawing and twisting threads; as, the woman knows how to spin. They neither know to spin, nor car to toil.
2. To perform the act of drawing and twisting threads; as, a machine or jenny spins with great exactness.
3. To move round rapidly; to whirl; as a top or a spindle.
4. To stream or issue in a thread or small current; as, blood spins from a vein.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a swift whirling motion (usually of a missile)
2: the act of rotating rapidly; "he gave the crank a spin"; "it broke off after much twisting" [syn: spin, twirl, twist, twisting, whirl]
3: a short drive in a car; "he took the new car for a spin"
4: rapid descent of an aircraft in a steep spiral [syn: tailspin, spin]
5: a distinctive interpretation (especially as used by politicians to sway public opinion); "the campaign put a favorable spin on the story" v
1: revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis; "The dervishes whirl around and around without getting dizzy" [syn: spin, spin around, whirl, reel, gyrate]
2: stream in jets, of liquids; "The creek spun its course through the woods"
3: cause to spin; "spin a coin" [syn: whirl, birl, spin, twirl]
4: make up a story; "spin a yarn"
5: form a web by making a thread; "spiders spin a fine web"
6: work natural fibers into a thread; "spin silk"
7: twist and turn so as to give an intended interpretation; "The President's spokesmen had to spin the story to make it less embarrassing"
8: prolong or extend; "spin out a visit" [syn: spin, spin out]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (spun; spinning) Etymology: Middle English spinnen, from Old English spinnan; akin to Old High German spinnan to spin and perhaps to Lithuanian sp?sti to set (a trap) Date: before 12th century intransitive verb 1. to draw out and twist fiber into yarn or thread 2. to form a thread by extruding a viscous rapidly hardening fluid — used especially of a spider or insect 3. a. to revolve rapidly ; gyrate b. to feel as if in a whirl ; reel <my head is spinning> 4. to move swiftly especially on or as if on wheels or in a vehicle 5. to fish with spinning bait ; troll 6. a. of an airplane to fall in a spin b. to plunge helplessly and out of control 7. to engage in spin control (as in politics) transitive verb 1. a. to draw out and twist into yarns or threads b. to produce by drawing out and twisting a fibrous material 2. to form (as a web or cocoon) by spinning 3. 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> 4. to cause to whirl ; impart spin to <spin a top> 5. to shape into threadlike form in manufacture; also to manufacture by a whirling process 6. to set (records or compact discs) rotating on a player ; play <spin some discs> 7. to present (as information) with a particular spin <spin the statistics> II. noun Date: 1831 1. 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> 2. 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> 3. 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 4. 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 • spinless adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. (spinning; past and past part. spun) 1 intr. & tr. turn or cause (a person or thing) to turn or whirl round quickly. 2 tr. (also absol.) a draw out and twist (wool, cotton, etc.) into threads. b make (yarn) in this way. c make a similar type of thread from (a synthetic substance etc.). 3 tr. (of a spider, silkworm, etc.) make (a web, gossamer, a cocoon, etc.) by extruding a fine viscous thread. 4 tr. tell or write (a story, essay, article, etc.) (spins a good tale). 5 tr. impart spin to (a ball). 6 intr. (of a person's head etc.) be dizzy through excitement, astonishment, etc. 7 tr. shape (metal) on a mould in a lathe etc. 8 intr. esp. Cricket (of a ball) move through the air with spin. 9 tr. (as spun adj.) converted into threads (spun glass; spun gold; spun sugar). 10 tr. fish in (a stream, pool, etc.) with a spinner. 11 tr. toss (a coin). 12 tr. = spin-dry. --n. 1 a spinning motion; a whirl. 2 an aircraft's diving descent combined with rotation. 3 a a revolving motion through the air, esp. in a rifle bullet or in a billiard, tennis, or table tennis ball struck aslant. b Cricket a twisting motion given to the ball in bowling. 4 colloq. a brief drive in a motor vehicle, aeroplane, etc., esp. for pleasure. 5 Physics the intrinsic angular momentum of an elementary particle. 6 Austral. & NZ sl. a piece of good or bad luck. Phrases and idioms: spin bowler Cricket an expert at bowling with spin. spin-drier a machine for drying wet clothes etc. centrifugally in a revolving drum. spin-dry (-dries, -dried) dry (clothes etc.) in this way. spin off throw off by centrifugal force in spinning. spin-off n. an incidental result or results esp. as a side benefit from industrial technology. spin out 1 prolong (a discussion etc.). 2 make (a story, money, etc.) last as long as possible. 3 spend or consume (time, one's life, etc., by discussion or in an occupation etc.). 4 Cricket dismiss (a batsman or side) by spin bowling. spin a yarn orig. Naut. tell a story. spun silk a cheap material made of short-fibred and waste silk. spun yarn Naut. a line formed of rope-yarns twisted together. Etymology: OE spinnan

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Spin Spin, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Spun(Archaic imp. Span); p. pr. & vb. n. Spinning.] [AS. spinnan; akin to D. & G. spinnen, Icel. & Sw. spinna, Dan. spinde, Goth. spinnan, and probably to E. span. [root]170. Cf. Span, v. t., Spider.] 1. To draw out, and twist into threads, either by the hand or machinery; as, to spin wool, cotton, or flax; to spin goat's hair; to produce by drawing out and twisting a fibrous material. All the yarn she [Penelope] spun in Ulysses' absence did but fill Ithaca full of moths. --Shak. 2. To draw out tediously; to form by a slow process, or by degrees; to extend to a great length; -- with out; as, to spin out large volumes on a subject. Do you mean that story is tediously spun out? --Sheridan. 3. To protract; to spend by delays; as, to spin out the day in idleness. By one delay after another they spin out their whole lives. --L'Estrange. 4. To cause to turn round rapidly; to whirl; to twirl; as, to spin a top. 5. To form (a web, a cocoon, silk, or the like) from threads produced by the extrusion of a viscid, transparent liquid, which hardens on coming into contact with the air; -- said of the spider, the silkworm, etc. 6. (Mech.) To shape, as malleable sheet metal, into a hollow form, by bending or buckling it by pressing against it with a smooth hand tool or roller while the metal revolves, as in a lathe. To spin a yarn (Naut.), to tell a story, esp. a long or fabulous tale. To spin hay (Mil.), to twist it into ropes for convenient carriage on an expedition. To spin street yarn, to gad about gossiping. [Collog.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Spin Spin, v. i. 1. To practice spinning; to work at drawing and twisting threads; to make yarn or thread from fiber; as, the woman knows how to spin; a machine or jenny spins with great exactness. They neither know to spin, nor care to toll. --Prior. 2. To move round rapidly; to whirl; to revolve, as a top or a spindle, about its axis. Round about him spun the landscape, Sky and forest reeled together. --Longfellow. With a whirligig of jubilant mosquitoes spinning about each head. --G. W. Cable. 3. To stream or issue in a thread or a small current or jet; as, blood spinsfrom a vein. --Shak. 4. To move swifty; as, to spin along the road in a carriage, on a bicycle, etc. [Colloq.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Spin Spin, n. 1. The act of spinning; as, the spin of a top; a spin a bicycle. [Colloq.] 2. (Kinematics) Velocity of rotation about some specified axis.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(spins, spinning, spun) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If something spins or if you spin it, it turns quickly around a central point. The latest discs, used for small portable computers, spin 3600 times a minute... He spun the wheel sharply and made a U turn in the middle of the road... He spun his car round and went after them. VERB: V, V n, V n round/around • Spin is also a noun. This driving mode allows you to move off in third gear to reduce wheel-spin in icy conditions. N-VAR 2. When you spin washing, it is turned round and round quickly in a spin drier or a washing machine to get the water out. Just spin the washing and it's nearly dry. VERB: V n • Spin is also a noun. Set on a cool wash and finish with a short spin. N-SING 3. If your head is spinning, you feel unsteady or confused, for example because you are drunk, ill, or excited. My head was spinning from the wine... VERB: V 4. If someone puts a certain spin on an event or situation, they interpret it and try to present it in a particular way. (INFORMAL) He interpreted the vote as support for the constitution and that is the spin his supporters are putting on the results today. N-SING: with supp see also spin doctor 5. In politics, spin is the way in which political parties try to present everything they do in a positive way to the public and the media. The public is sick of spin and tired of promises. It's time for politicians to act. 6. If you go for a spin or take a car for a spin, you make a short journey in a car just to enjoy yourself. N-SING: a N 7. If someone spins a story, they give you an account of something that is untrue or only partly true. He was surprised, and annoyed that she had spun a story which was too good to be condemned as a simple lie. VERB: V n, also V n n 8. When people spin, they make thread by twisting together pieces of a fibre such as wool or cotton using a device or machine. Michelle will also spin a customer's wool fleece to specification at a cost of $2.25 an ounce. VERB: V n • spinning They do their own cooking, spinning, and woodworking. 9. In a game such as tennis or cricket, if you put spin on a ball, you deliberately make it spin rapidly when you hit it or throw it.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Twist (into thread). 2. Extend, draw out. 3. Protract, spend, lengthen, prolong, draw out. 4. Twirl, whirl.

Moby Thesaurus

Charybdis, Sunday drive, advance, airing, angle, angular momentum, angular motion, angular velocity, ascend, axial motion, back, back up, bait the hook, bank, bob, bowling, budge, centrifugate, centrifugation, centrifuge, change, change place, circle, circulate, circulation, circumgyration, circumrotate, circumrotation, circumvolute, clam, climb, come about, concoct, continue, crab, crack up, crank, crash, dap, derive, descend, devise, dib, dibble, dip, dizzy, dizzy round, drag out, draw out, drive, ebb, eddy, excursion, extend, fabricate, feather, fetch about, filament, fish, fishtail, flat spin, flow, fluster, fly-fish, full circle, get over, giddy, gig, gin, go, go about, go around, go fishing, go round, go sideways, grig, guddle, gurge, gyrate, gyration, gyre, heel, invent, jack, jacklight, jaunt, jig, joyride, keep alive, keep going, lift, loop, maelstrom, make up, mix up, mount, move, move over, muddle, narrate, net, oscillate, outing, pendulate, perpetuate, pickup, pirouette, pivot, pivot about, pivoting, plow, plunge, porpoise, produce, progress, prolong, protract, pull out, pull up, purl, push down, put about, rat race, recount, reel, reeling, regress, relate, retail, retrogress, revolution, revolve, revolving, ride, rise, roll, rolling, rotate, rotating, rotation, rotational motion, round, run, screw, seine, separate, shift, shred, shrimp, sideslip, sink, skid, soar, spin off, spin out, spinning, spiral, still-fish, stir, stream, stretch out, stunt, subside, surge, swim, swing, swing round, swinging, swirl, swirling, swivel, swiveling, tailspin, tell, torch, tour, travel, trawl, troll, trolling, trundling, turbination, turn, turn a pirouette, turn about, turn around, turn round, turn tail, turning, twirl, twirling, twist, undulate, unfold, veer, veer around, vibrate, volutation, volution, vortex, wamble, wane, weave, whale, wheel, wheel about, wheeling, whir, whirl, whirligig, whirling, whirlpool, whirlwind, wind, yaw