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whirly

1 8.4

A small toy that spins quickly in the wind

noun
/ˈwɜrli/

: molinete

He gave the whirly a flick, and it started to twirl rapidly in the air.

And and and then I just become this like whirly gig, this Red Tornado.

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Examples

They're just, and I'd be called Whirly Gig and the sound be and it would just whip around.
The children laughed as they watched the whirly spin across the grass.
During the fair, I bought a colorful whirly that caught the wind perfectly.

Synonyms

pinwheel

vswhirly

1 2.7

A small toy with colored blades on a stick that spins in the wind

is a small spinning toy started in various ways rather than only by wind

spinner

vswhirly

Informal

1 3.2

A small toy you turn quickly with your fingers for fun or to help you focus

is a small spinning toy regardless of how it is started or used

whirligig

vswhirly

8.6

A small toy that spins quickly on a point like a top

is a general small spinning toy not limited to point spinning shapes

whizzer

vswhirly

7.9

A small toy that spins quickly and makes a buzzing sound

is a small spinning toy without necessarily producing a loud whirring noise

whip top

vswhirly

9.1

A toy that spins when you hit it with a string

is a small spinning toy started in other ways rather than by striking

whirler

vswhirly

7.6

A device that spins around a central point

is a small toy version focused on play rather than broad mechanical use

How Fast

spinner

Informal

1 3.2

whirly

1 8.4

top

81 1.8

pinwheel

1 2.7

whirligig

8.5

Surface Forms

whirly singular

whirlies plural

Morphology

whirly = whirl (transparent) = whirl + y

A toy that spins is intuitively described as 'whirl' + '-y'; learners can infer the meaning from the base.

Etymology

Whirly for a small toy comes from whirl and the old toy name whirligig, both meaning 'to spin' or a 'spinning toy'. So a whirly is an easy word for a little spinner that turns fast in the wind.