the.com/whir
the sound machines make when they're thinking too hard to speak.
means To move or spin rapidly with a continuous low buzzing or humming sound, or the sound itself.
from An imitative word — coined to mimic the very noise it names, the way 'buzz' and 'hum' are. It surfaced in late Middle English, possibly nudged along by Scandinavian relatives like the Danish 'hvirre' (to twirl) and Norwegian 'kvirra' (to whirl), all built from the same restless idea of fast, circling motion. So when something whirs, the word is literally doing an impression of it.
- word type
- onomatopoeia: it sounds like its meaning
- origin
- likely Scandinavian, mimicking spinning motion
- hummingbird
- named whirybird in some old dialects
- frequency
- perceived pitch rises with rotation speed
helicopter rotor blades — produces 400-600 rpm whirring sound during flight
electric drill motor — emits distinctive high-pitched whir at 3000+ rpm
ceiling fan — creates familiar whirring at 50-200 rpm in households