spɪn 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. øspin 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. [OE spinnan]
