whir — to make a continuous low humming or buzzing sound
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to make a continuous low humming or buzzing sound
Pronunciation (IPA): /wɜːr/
Example Sentences
- My laptop's fan started to whir loudly during the important presentation.
- The drone whirred past my window, probably spying on my pizza delivery.
- The washing machine whirs peacefully in the background.
whir
VERB[/wɜːr/]
to make a continuous low humming or buzzing sound
The old printing press began to whir as the morning shift started.
The blades whir around her, making everything blur!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Whir emerged in the mid-16th century as an onomatopoetic word imitating the sound produced by objects spinning or moving rapidly. The term directly represents the whirring noise associated with fast rotational motion.
Breakdown
Whir is a pure onomatopoeia with no morphological components, formed directly from the acoustic imitation of high-speed rotational or whistling sounds.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My laptop's fan started to whir loudly during the important presentation.”
“The drone whirred past my window, probably spying on my pizza delivery.”
“The washing machine whirs peacefully in the background.”
“I can hear the whir of the blender as mom makes her morning smoothie.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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