WHIRRING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does whirring mean? 

• WHIRRING (noun)
  The noun WHIRRING has 1 sense:

1. sound of something in rapid motion

  Familiarity information: WHIRRING used as a noun is very rare.

• WHIRRING (adjective)
  The adjective WHIRRING has 1 sense:

1. like the sound of rapidly vibrating wings

  Familiarity information: WHIRRING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WHIRRING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Sound of something in rapid motion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

birr; whir; whirr; whirring

Context example:

the whir of the propellers

Hypernyms ("whirring" is a kind of...):

sound (the sudden occurrence of an audible event)

Derivation:

whir (make a soft swishing sound)

• WHIRRING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Like the sound of rapidly vibrating wings

Similar:

noisy (full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds)

 Context examples 

He came upon a valley where rock ptarmigan rose on whirring wings from the ledges and muskegs.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

The willow-wren with his army also came flying through the air with such a humming, and whirring, and swarming that every one was uneasy and afraid, and on both sides they advanced against each other.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

And always the ptarmigan rose, whirring, before him, till their ker—ker—ker became a mock to him, and he cursed them and cried aloud at them with their own cry.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)