Forms: 5 Sc. quirr(e, quir, quhir, 5–7 whirre, 6 Sc. quhirr(e, quhyrr(e, 7 whurre, 7, 9 whurr, 8 whur, 7– whirr, whir. [The early occurrence of this vb. and the related sb. in northern texts makes a Scandinavian origin probable; cf. Da. hvirre:—*hvirve, Norw. kvirra, Sw. dial. hvirra, app. assimilated forms of a verb *hvirfa (cf. ON. hverfa WHARVE v.), related to hvirfill, hvirfla WHIRL. In later use the Eng. verb has been reinforced by onomatopœia.]
1. trans. † a. To throw or cast with violence and noise; to fling, hurl. Obs.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 2226. Othire athils of armes Albastis bendis, Quirys [v.r. whirres] out quarrels.
1605. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iii. Captains, 516. The formost Ranks it [sc. hailshot] whirr’d Upon the next, the second on the third.
b. To carry or hurry along, to move or stir, with a rushing or vibratory sound. (In mod. use causal from 2.)
1608. Shaks., Per., IV. i. 21. A lasting storme, whirring me from my friends.
1909. Nation, 27 Nov., 363/1. They [wasps] whirred their wings and gave out a sleepy, whispered buzz.
1921. A. F. Robertson, Story of Pam, ix. As he was ‘whirred’ through the night.
2. intr. To move swiftly in some way (rush, fly, dart, flutter, turn, etc.) with a continuous vibratory sound, as various birds, rapidly revolving wheels, bodies flying quickly through the air, etc.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 1556. All þe cite … felowis him eftir, Quirris [v.r. whirrez] furth all in quite.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XII. xiv. 96. Furth flaw the schaft … And quhirrand smait him throw the thee.
1605. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iii. III. Law, 779. As the poor Partridge, cover’d with the net, In vain doth strive,… For, the close meshes … Suffer the same no more to whurre aloft.
1606. Chapman, Gentl. Usher, III. ii. 14. The great wheeles, Turning but softly, make the lesse to whirre About their businesse.
1728–46. Thomson, Spring, 692. With stealthy wing,… Amid a neighbouring bush they silent drop, And whirring thence,… deceive The unfeeling school-boy.
1830. Lytton, Paul Clifford, xii. The distant wheel of a carriage whirred on the ear.
1859. H. Kingsley, G. Hamlyn, xxviii. Through the grassy flat, where the quail whirred before them.
1864. Skeat, trans. Uhland’s Poems, 356. Hark! arrows are whirring, swords clash in the fray.
1899. Werner, Captain of Locusts, 25. The locusts whirred up round his horse’s hoofs.
3. Without implication of onward movement: To make or emit a vibratory sound.
1804. A. Wilson, in Poems & Lit. Prose (1876), II. 359. The squirrel chipped, the tree frog whirred.
1886. Stevenson, Kidnapped, xxii. Grasshoppers whirring in the grass.
1899. Jesse L. Williams, Stolen Story, etc., 154. The telephone bell whirred.
1905. A. C. Benson, Upton Lett., 84. The casements whirr, the organ speaks.
b. dial. To snarl or growl; to purr.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), To Whur, to snarl, as a Dog does.
1843. J. Ballantine, Gaberlunzie’s Wallet, 209. At your feet … Whurrs your wee catty.
1847. Halliwell, Whurr, to growl, as a dog.
4. The verb-stem as int. or adv., expressing a sudden or rapid movement with vibratory sound.
1600. Dr. Dodypoll, III. D 4 b. Whirre, I haue strooke him vnder the shorte ribs.
a. 1625. Fletcher, Fair Maid Inn, V. i. You demand if I am guilty, whir says my cloak by a trick of Legerdemain, now I am not guilty.
1826. Disraeli, Viv. Grey, VI. i. Whirr! the exploded cork whizzed through the air.
1836. T. Hook, G. Gurney, v. (1850), I. 87. Whurr went the pheasants—bang went the barrels.
1844. Kinglake, Eöthen, i. Whirr! whirr! all by wheels!—whiz! whiz! all by steam!
1858. Thackeray, Virgin., xxxix. Whirr came the wheels—the carriage stopped at the very door.
