whorl
/(h)wɔː(ɹ)l/ noun, verb
Forms whorls whorling whorled
- noun Each circle, volution or equivalent in a pattern of concentric circles, ovals, arcs, or a spiral.
- noun (botany) A circle of three or more leaves, flowers, or other organs, about the same part or joint of a stem.
- noun (zoology) A volution, or turn, of the spire of a univalve shell.
- noun (anatomy) Any volution, as for example in the human ear or fingerprint.
- noun A flywheel, a weight attached to a spindle.
- verb (intransitive) To form a pattern of concentric circles.
Synonyms
coil roll curl curlicue ringlet gyre scroll lock spiral volute helix
Etymology
From alteration of whirl (verb).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A circle of two or more leaves, flowers, or other organs, about the same part or joint of a stem.
- noun A volution, or turn, of the spire of a univalve shell.
Etymology [OE. whorvil the whirl of a spindle; akin to AS. hweorfa the whirl of a spindle, hweorfan to turn; cf. OD. worvel the whirl of a spindle. See Whirl, n. & v.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “whorl”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details