Forms: 5 Sc. qwirre, 6 Sc. quhir, 6–7 whurre, 7 whirre, 7–8 whur, 8–9 whurr, 9 whirr, whir. [See next.]
† 1. Violent or rapid movement, rush, hurry; the force or impetus of such movement. Obs.
Sometimes approaching sense 2; but in early use the stress is on the movement rather than the sound.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 560. All flames þe flode as it fire were,… And þan ouer-qwelmys in a qwirre. Ibid., 1854. In a qwirre [v.r. whirre] as þe quele turnes.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XII. v. 114. The sovir schaft flaw quhisland wyth a quhir.
a. 1553. Udall, Royster D., I. iii. (Arb.), 20. No haste but good,… for whip and whurre The olde prouerbe doth say, neuer made good furre.
† b. fig. Commotion of mind or feeling; a mental or nervous shock. Obs.
1628. Feltham, Resolves, II. [I.] xl. 121. Knowing himselfe chollericke, and in that whirre of the mind, apt to rush vpon foule transgression.
1702. Vanbrugh, False Friend, V. i. I’m mightily muddled with a Whur—round about in my head.
1728. Vanbr. & Cib., Prov. Husb., II. i. They slupt the Door full in my Feace, and gave me such a whurr here—I thought they had beaten my brains out!
2. A continuous vibratory sound, such as that made by the rapid fluttering of a bird’s or insect’s wings, by a wheel turning swiftly, or by a body rushing through the air.
1677. N. Cox, Gentl. Recreat., II. 168. Whur is the rising and fluttering of Partridge or Pheasant.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1824), II. 346. The Goat-sucker … makes a loud singular noise, like the whirr of a spinning-wheel.
1829. Southey, All for Love, II. x. A whirr of unseen wings he heard.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., II. II. iii. The wide simultaneous whirr of shouldered muskets.
1847. Longf., Ev., I. i. 23. Shuttles … Mingled their sound with the whir of the wheels.
1887. Hall Caine, Son of Hagar, III. v. Between the whirrs of the wind he heard the tinkle of the signal bell.
1893. Tout, Edw. I., xi. 196. The king’s horse took fright at the whirr of the sails of a windmill.
fig. 1874. Meredith, Lett. to Capt. Maxse, 5 Aug. I do not see my way out of the encircling whirr of work.
