birl

• Verbe vieilli ou désuet signifiant tournoyer rapidement, tourbillonner ou faire pivoter ; également utilisé en dialecte écossais pour désigner une forte beuverie ou le fait de faire tourner une pièce de monnaie.

An archaic or obsolete verb meaning to spin, whirl, or rotate rapidly; also used in Scottish dialect to mean to drink heavily or to cause a coin to spin.

1. Rotate a floating logC2formal

   To cause a floating log to rotate by treading on it, often as a sport or competition.

   Faire tourner une bille de bois flottante

   • The lumberjacks competed to see who could birl the log the longest.
   • He skillfully birthed the log in the river.
   • Birling requires excellent balance and coordination.

   Synonymesrollrotatespintwirlwhirl

2. Cause to spinC2informal

   To cause something to spin or rotate rapidly.

   Faire tournoyer

   • She birthed the coin on the table.
   • The child birthed the top until it wobbled and fell.
   • He birthed the wheel to test its balance.

   Synonymesgyraterotatespinswirltwirlwhirl

   Antonymeshaltpausestillstop