Word: spin Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English spinnen, from Old English spinnan, from Proto-Germanic *spinnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)penh₁-. Cognates Cognate with Dutch, German spinnen (“to spin”), Luxembourgish spannen (“to spin”), Yiddish שפּינען (shpinen, “spin”), Danish spinde (“to spin”), Faroese, Icelandic and Swedish spinna (“to spin”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk spinne (“to spin”), Gothic 𐍃𐍀𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (spinnan, “to spin”). Pronunciation: /spɪn/ 1. To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction. Labels: ergative Example: I spun myself around a few times. Example: Spin the ball on the floor. 2. To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction. Labels: ergative 3. To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction. Labels: ergative 4. To make yarn by twisting and winding fibers together. Labels: transitive Example: They spin the cotton into thread. Example: Along the Sunny Bank, or Wat’ry Mead, / Ten thouſand Stalks their various Bloſſoms ſpread : / Peaceful and lowly in their native Soil, / They neither know to ſpin, nor care to toil ; / Yet with confeſs’d Magnificence deride / Our vile Attire, and Impotence of Pride. 5. To present, describe, or interpret, or to introduce a bias or slant, so as to give something a favorable or advantageous appearance. Labels: figuratively Example: But because he is but briefe, and these things of great consequence not to be kept obscure, I shall conceave it nothing above my duty either for the difficulty or the censure that may passe thereon, to communicate such thoughts as I also have had, and do offer them now in this generall labour of reformation, to the candid view both of Church and Magistrate; especially because I see it the hope of good men, that those irregular and unspirituall Courts have spun their utmost date in this Land; and some beter course must now be constituted. Example: In every administration there will be spokesmen and public affairs officers who try to spin the news to make the president look good. But this administration is trying to spin scientific data and muzzle scientists toward that end. 6. To make the ball move sideways when it bounces on the pitch. Example: This pitch is usually preferred for spin than pace. 7. To move sideways when bouncing. Example: Spinning the ball gave him figures of 7-48. 8. To form into thin strips or ribbons, as with sugar 9. To form (a web, a cocoon, silk, etc.) from threads produced by the extrusion of a viscid, transparent liquid, which hardens on coming into contact with the air; said of the spider, the silkworm, etc. Example: I spin a thread that you can't see / A web of thoughts best left unclean 10. To shape, as malleable sheet metal, into a hollow form, by bending or buckling it by pressing against it with a smooth hand tool or roller while the metal revolves, as in a lathe. 11. To move swiftly. Example: to spin along the road in a carriage, on a bicycle, etc. 12. To stream or issue in a thread or a small current or jet. Example: Blood spins from a vein. Example: Mount them, and make inciſion in their Hides, / That their hot blood may ſpin in Engliſh eyes, / And doubt them with ſuperfluous courage : ha. 13. To wait in a loop until some condition becomes true. Labels: intransitive 14. To rotate into the gravel or managing to remain on the straight as a result of bad weather. Labels: intransitive Example: His car spun in the rains just after finishing lap four. 15. To play (vinyl records, etc.) as a disc jockey. Labels: informal, transitive Example: However, for the past six years he has been spinning his novel blend of progressive house and trance music and is finally on the brink of becoming the next luminary DJ. 16. To use an exercise bicycle, especially as part of a gym class. Labels: intransitive 17. To ride a bicycle at a fast cadence. Labels: intransitive 18. To search rapidly. Labels: UK, slang, transitive Example: But then again, unless someone struck lucky in those first few hours, there weren't even enough detectives to spin a drum [house]. 19. To draw out tediously; prolong. Labels: transitive Example: to spin a yarn 20. To fish with a swivel or spoonbait. 21. To reject at an examination; to fail (a student). Labels: archaic, slang, transitive