# spin

Pronunciation: say "SPIN" /spɪn/

## Verb

1. To rotate or revolve quickly, turn to face another direction, or turn out of control after losing grip.
   - Simple: To turn around quickly, turn to face another way, or turn out of control when a vehicle loses grip.
   - _Figure skaters spin rapidly by pulling their arms close to their bodies._
   - _The dancer spun on one foot before taking a bow._
4. To draw out and twist fibers into a continuous strand of yarn, winding it as it forms.
   - Simple: To twist fibers together to make thread or yarn.
   - _Villagers spin raw fleece into yarn during the long winter months._
   - _She spun the flax into fine linen thread for the loom._
6. To present or interpret information with a bias that makes something seem more favorable or advantageous than it is.
   - Simple: To describe something in a way that makes it seem better than it really is.
   - _The press office spun the scandal into a story about reform._
   - _Aides spin every setback so the candidate appears competent._
8. To narrate or concoct a tale, especially a lengthy, elaborate, or fictitious one.
   - Simple: To tell or make up a story, often a long one with lots of details or one that is not true.
   - _The con man spun an elaborate story about a sick relative to get money from strangers._
   - _Few writers spin a family saga as gripping as her latest novel._
9. Of a spider, silkworm, or similar creature, to produce silk thread, or to make a web or cocoon from it.
   - Simple: Of a spider or silkworm, to make silk thread, or to make a web or cocoon from it.
   - _Garden spiders spin intricate webs overnight between the fence posts._
   - _The caterpillar spun a tight cocoon before transforming._
12. To play vinyl records or other recordings as a disc jockey. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To play recorded music for an audience, the way a DJ does.
   - _He spins rare funk records at a small bar downtown._
   - _Local DJs spin vinyl all night during the summer festival._
16. To pedal a bicycle fast in an easy gear, especially on a stationary bike in a gym class.
   - Simple: To pedal a bike quickly in an easy gear, often on an exercise bike in a class.
   - _Members spin together while the instructor calls out the pace._
   - _He spun hard through the final sprint of the class._
18. Of an aircraft, to go into or be put into a spin, a stalled, rotating descent.
   - Simple: Of a plane, to drop while turning round and round after losing lift, or of a pilot, to make it do this.
   - _Student pilots learn how to recover when the aircraft starts to spin._
   - _The biplane spun toward the ground before the pilot regained control._
19. In cricket, to make the ball turn sideways off the pitch, or of the ball, to turn this way.
   - Simple: In cricket, to make the ball change direction when it bounces, or of the ball, to do this.
   - _She can spin the ball sharply off a worn pitch._
   - _Bowlers who spin the ball cleverly trouble even skilled batsmen._
20. To fish using a swivel or a spoon-shaped bait that revolves in the water.
   - Simple: To fish using a turning bait or lure that spins in the water.
   - _Anglers spin for trout where the current runs fast._
   - _He spun for mackerel off the pier at dawn._
22. To move along quickly or swiftly.
   - Simple: To move along very fast.
23. To form a substance, such as sugar, into thin strips or ribbons.
   - Simple: To pull a food such as sugar into thin strips or threads.
   - _Pastry chefs spin caramel into delicate ribbons for the dessert._
   - _He spun the molten sugar into a shimmering web over the cake._
24. To draw something out at tedious length; to prolong it well beyond a natural ending.
   - Simple: To make something last much longer than it needs to.
   - _Rather than admit he had nothing more to say, the lecturer spun out the last ten minutes with stories that went nowhere._
   - _The lawyers seemed determined to spin out the case for as long as possible, billing for every extra hour._
25. To whirl freshly washed laundry rapidly in the drum of a washing machine or spin dryer so that the water is forced out.
   - Simple: To turn wet, washed clothes around very fast in a machine to get the water out.
   - _Delicate sweaters should be spun on a low setting so they don't stretch._
   - _Commercial washers spin the sheets so fast that they need far less time in the dryer afterward._

## Noun

2. A fresh, inventive take on something that already exists; a twist.
   - Simple: A new and creative version of something that already exists.
   - _The remake adds a clever spin that the original never imagined._
   - _Their menu puts an unexpected spin on traditional street food._
3. Rapid circular movement around a central point.
   - Simple: Fast turning motion in circles.
   - _The fan's spin slowed to a stop once the power was cut._
   - _As the top's spin slowly weakened, it began to wobble and finally tipped over onto the table._
5. A favorable interpretation or comment meant to sway opinion about an otherwise unpleasant situation.
   - Simple: A way of describing bad news that makes it sound better than it is.
   - _The campaign's spin couldn't hide how badly the polls had fallen._
   - _Reporters quickly cut through the official spin on the failed deal._
7. A quick test of something new, to learn what it is like or how well it performs, as in give it a spin. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A quick try with something new, to find out what it is like or if it works well.
   - _Reviewers took the early version of the software for a spin and found several bugs._
   - _Our test kitchen gave the new air fryer a spin with a batch of chicken wings._
10. Rotation given to a ball when it is thrown, struck, or bowled, which affects its flight and the way it bounces.
   - Simple: The turning given to a ball that changes how it flies or bounces.
   - _The batsman misjudged the spin and edged the ball to the keeper._
   - _The pitcher's curveball had so much spin that it dropped sharply just before it reached the plate._
11. A session or class of exercise performed on a stationary bicycle, especially in a gym setting.
   - Simple: A workout class done on a stationary exercise bike.
   - _He says an hour of spin at the gym before work wakes him up better than any cup of coffee._
   - _Before work she squeezed in a 45-minute spin at the gym, then showered and caught the early train._
13. A form of angular momentum intrinsic to subatomic particles.
   - Simple: A property of very small particles that behaves like a tiny built-in turning motion.
   - _Electrons have a spin of one-half, which makes them fermions._
   - _The particle's spin couples strongly to the external magnetic field._
15. A short trip taken by vehicle, especially one made for pleasure.
   - Simple: A short ride in a car or other vehicle, usually just for fun.
   - _He offered to take his grandmother for a spin in the convertible._
   - _After dinner we hopped on the motorcycle for a quick spin._
14. A condition in which someone is confused or has lost their bearings.
   - Simple: A confused, dizzy state of mind.
   - _The conflicting instructions sent the whole office into a spin._
   - _She was in such a spin that she forgot where she had parked._
17. A flight condition in which a stalled aircraft descends while simultaneously pitching, yawing, and rolling in a spinning motion.
   - Simple: A dangerous fall in which a stalled plane drops while turning in circles.
   - _The trainee practiced recovering from a spin at a safe altitude._
   - _The aircraft entered a flat spin during the stall test._
21. An instance of a record being played, above all when a radio station airs it.
   - Simple: One play of a song, especially on the radio.
   - _A single spin on the breakfast show sent the track up the charts._
   - _The band celebrated their debut spin on a major city station._

## Other meanings

- (verb) To shape malleable sheet metal into a hollow form by pressing a smooth tool or roller against it as it revolves, as on a lathe.
- (noun) A bundle of spun fibers; a mass of strands and filaments gathered together.
- (verb) Of a program, to loop repeatedly while waiting for some condition to become true.
- (verb) To flow out as a thread, or in a thin stream or jet.
- (verb) In police slang, to search a place such as a house quickly.
- (verb) To fail a student in an examination.
- (noun) A failure in which a journal bearing locks onto the turning shaft and spins inside its housing, badly damaging the shaft and surrounding parts.
- (noun) A sweep through an inmate's cell by guards looking for contraband.
- (noun) A woman who has never married.
- (noun) A spinnaker, the large balloon-shaped sail at the front of a yacht.
- (noun) An intense, focused interest that an autistic person has in a particular subject.

## Origin

From Middle English spinnen, from Old English spinnan, going back to Proto-Germanic *spinnaną and ultimately Proto-Indo-European *(s)penh₁-. It is related to Dutch and German spinnen, Danish spinde, and Swedish spinna, all meaning "to spin."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/spin (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).