Word: spin Part of Speech: noun 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. Circular motion, usually rapid. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The car went into a spin. Example: The skaters demonstrated their spins. 2. A state of confusion or disorientation. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: My mind was in a spin. 3. A quantum angular momentum associated with subatomic particles, which also creates a magnetic moment. Labels: countable, uncountable 4. A novel, creative variation of an existing thing or type; a twist. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The media has been having a field day not only with the usual tired homophobic innuendos (which one has come to expect) but with new spins on queer bashing that might even seem inventive if they were not so hateful. 5. A favourable comment or interpretation intended to bias opinion on an otherwise unpleasant situation. Labels: countable, figuratively, uncountable Example: spin doctor Example: Try to put a positive spin on the disappointing sales figures. 6. Rotation of the ball as it flies through the air; sideways movement of the ball as it bounces. Labels: countable, uncountable 7. A condition of flight where a stalled aircraft is simultaneously pitching, yawing, and rolling in a spinning motion. Labels: countable, uncountable 8. An abnormal condition in journal bearings where the bearing seizes to the rotating shaft and rotates inside the journal, destroying both the shaft and the journal. Labels: countable, uncountable 9. A brief trip by vehicle, especially one made for pleasure. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: I'm off out for a spin in my new sports car. Example: But she opened the door and said "Honey, take me for a spin." / So we drove up town just to get the tags / And I headed her right on down main drag / I could hear everybody laughin' for blocks around / But up there at the court house they didn't laugh / 'Cause to type it up it took the whole staff / And when they got through the title weighed sixty pounds. 10. A bundle of spun material; a mass of strands and filaments. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: She left him alone, and went to get Annie a spin of toffee. 11. A single play of a record; especially, one broadcast by a radio station. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Let's give this classic LP another spin. Example: Although the Loveless title showed the smallest increase in airplay in the top 10, its number of detections outpaced the nearest bulleted title by more than 350 spins. 12. A search of a prisoner's cell for forbidden articles. Labels: UK, countable, slang, uncountable Example: Mr Weedon explains that this is a cell search - known by prisoners as a spin - and for obvious reasons it has to be carried out without any warning. 13. An unmarried woman; a spinster. Labels: countable, dated, uncountable Example: 1893, Bithia Mary Croker, "To Let" in "To Let" etc., Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1906, p. 1, https://archive.org/details/toletcroker00crok Some years ago, when I was a slim young spin, I came out to India to live with my brother Tom […] 14. The use of an exercise bicycle, especially as part of a gym class. Labels: uncountable