| 释义 |
whorl
I. \ˈhw]ȯ(ə)rl, ]ərl, esp before pause or consonant -rəl; ]ȯ(ə)l, ]ə̄l, ]əil also ˈw]\ noun
also wharl \]är(ə)l\
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English whorle, wharle, whorwhil, wharwyl, probably alteration of whirle, wherle, wherwill whorl of a spindle, whirl — more at whirl
1. : a drumlike section on the lower part of a spindle in spinning or weaving machinery serving as a pulley for the tape drive that rotates the spindle
2. : an arrangement of two or more anatomical parts or organs of one kind in a circle around the same point on an axis
< a whorl of leaves >
< a whorl of flowers >
3.
a. : something that whirls, coils, or spirals or whose form suggests such movement
< whorls of rising chimney smoke >
< a first grade school paper of Spencerian push-ups and whorls — William Humphrey >
b. : a circular or spiral shape; especially : one used as a design motive (as in furniture)
4. : one of the turns of a univalve shell
5. : a terra-cotta disk that suggests a whorl, is found in ruins of ancient cities in Asia Minor, Africa, Italy, and India, and is supposed by some to have been used on spindles
6. : a fingerprint in which the central papillary ridges turn through at least one complete circle — see fingerprint illustration
II. verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
transitive verb
: to arrange or form in coiled or spiral shapes
< the whorled grain of his hair — Crary Moore >
: arrange in a whorl
intransitive verb
: to turn with a spinning or spiral motion : swirl, whirl
< watching the … billowing snow as it whorled down — Jean Stafford >
< hung over the banister until the blood whorled in her eyes — Nancy Cardozo > |