26984 words

spin

15 definitions • 29 examples
1
to (cause to) turn around and around, especially fast:

Examples:

The earth spins on its axis.
spin around/round The roulette players silently watched the wheel spin around/round.
He was killed when his car hit a tree and spun off the road.
Spin the ball (= make it turn around and around as you throw it) and it will change direction when it hits the ground.
2
If your head or the room spins, you feel as if it is turning around and around, and you cannot balance:

Examples:

The room started spinning and I felt faint.
3
to make thread by twisting fibres:

Examples:

He spins wool for knitting or weaving.
The women learned to spin, weave, and cook.
be spun into The final stage of the production of cotton is when it is spun into thread.
4
to create a thread or net of threads, by forcing or pushing a substance out through a small opening:

Examples:

Old plastic drinks bottles are dried, crushed, heated and spun to form fibres.
She watched a spider spin a web.
5
to tell a story, either to deceive someone or for entertainment:

Examples:

He spun some tale about needing to take time off work because his mother was ill.
6
(of a vehicle) to move quickly, or to move quickly in a vehicle:

Examples:

spin along We were spinning along, when suddenly one of our tyres burst.
spin past Chris spun past in a flashy new car.
7
the movement of something turning round very quickly:

Examples:

into a spin I hit something on the road, which sent the car into a spin.
Suddenly, the plane went into a spin.
These clothes need another spin (= to be turned round very fast in a machine to get water out of them) - they're still very wet.
put spin on She put a lot of spin on the ball (= threw or hit it in a way that made it spin).
8
a way of describing an idea or situation that makes it seem better than it really is, especially in politics:

Examples:

put a spin on They have tried to put a positive spin on the situation.
This report puts a different spin on the issue.
9
a short journey in a car for pleasure:

Examples:

for a spin Rupert took me for a spin in his new car.
10
another word for
11
to turn around and around, or to cause something or someone to turn:

Examples:

[ I ] The earth spins on its axis.
[ I ] She heard footsteps behind her, and spun around to see who was there.
[ T ] The slight contact spun Joyce around.
12
to make thread by twisting fibers, or to produce something using thread:

Examples:

Cotton is spun into thread.
Spiders spin webs.
13
a particular way of representing an event or situation to the public so that it will be understood in a way that you want it to be understood:

Examples:

They tried to put a positive/negative spin on the story (= They tried to make it seem better or worse), but nobody was fooled.
To understand spin, he said, is to understand that you get your story told without getting your fingerprints on it.
14
a short trip taken for pleasure, usually in a car:

Examples:

We went for a spin in Bill’s new car.
15

Examples:

[ C ] I hit a patch of ice in the road, which sent the car into a spin.

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