- spindle whorl
- spindle whorl nounA heavy ring giving momentum to the spindle• • •Main Entry: ↑spindle
Useful english dictionary. 2012.
spindle whorl
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Buckquoy spindle-whorl — The Buckquoy spindle whorl is a famous spindle whorl dating from the Early Middle Ages, probably the 8th century, excavated in 1970 in Buckquoy, Birsay, Orkney, Scotland. It has achieved fame because of its ogham inscription.The inscription was… … Wikipedia
Whorl — Whorl, n. [OE. whorvil the whirl of a spindle; akin to AS. hweorfa the whirl of a spindle, hweorfan to turn; cf. OD. worvel the whirl of a spindle. See {Whirl}, n. & v.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Bot.) A circle of two or more leaves, flowers, or other… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Whorl — is a type of spiral pattern.Other meanings of whorl include: * Whorl (mollusc), a single, complete 360° turn in the spiral growth of a mollusc shell ** Body whorl, in a mollusc shell the most recently formed whorl of a spiral shell, terminating… … Wikipedia
whorl — mid 15c., flywheel or pulley on a spindle, perhaps an alteration of WHIRL (Cf. whirl). Meaning circle of leaves or flowers round a stem of a plant is first recorded 1550s. Of seashells or other spiral structures, from 1828 … Etymology dictionary
whorl — ► NOUN 1) Zoology each of the turns in the spiral shell of a mollusc. 2) Botany a set of leaves, flowers, or branches springing from a stem at the same level and encircling it. 3) a complete circle in a fingerprint. DERIVATIVES whorled adjective … English terms dictionary
whorl — [hwôrl, hwʉrl] n. [ME whorwyl, dial. var. of wherwille, WHIRL] 1. a small flywheel on a spindle, as for regulating the speed of a spinning wheel 2. anything with a coiled or spiral appearance; specif., a) any of the circular ridges that form the… … English World dictionary
Spindle (textiles) — Eve spinning, the spindle in her right hand: Hunterian Psalter, ca 1170 (Glasgow University Library) … Wikipedia
spindle and whorl — or drop spindle Earliest device for spinning fibres into thread or yarn. The spinster lets the spindle fall to draw out the fibres while the whorl keeps it rotating to apply the necessary twist. The spindle and whorl was replaced by the spinning… … Universalium
whorl — /hwerrl, hwawrl, werrl, wawrl/, n. 1. a circular arrangement of like parts, as leaves or flowers, around a point on an axis; verticil. 2. one of the turns or volutions of a spiral shell. 3. anything shaped like a coil. 4. one of the central… … Universalium
whorl — [wɔ:l, wə:l] noun 1》 Zoology each of the convolutions in the shell of a gastropod or ammonoid mollusc. 2》 Botany a set of leaves, flowers, or branches springing from the stem at the same level and encircling it. ↘(in a flower) each of the… … English new terms dictionary
