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Pinwheel vs Cartwheel - What's the difference?

pinwheel | cartwheel |

As nouns the difference between pinwheel and cartwheel

is that pinwheel is an artificial flower with the stem, usually in plastic, for children; the flower spins round in the wind while cartwheel is the literal wheel of a cart.

As verbs the difference between pinwheel and cartwheel

is that pinwheel is to spin while cartwheel is to perform the gymnastics feat of a cartwheel.

pinwheel

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • an artificial flower with the stem, usually in plastic, for children; the flower spins round in the wind.
  • a firework which forms a kind of spinning wheel
  • A cogged (toothed) gear.

    • Quotations

    ; firework * 1992, , Penguin Books, paperback edition, page 125 *: The sun blazing late in the afternoon, this long hilarious day like a pinwheel inexhaustibly throwing off sparks.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To spin.
    • The damaged fighter jet pinwheeled out of control, the g forces pushing the pilot so hard he couldn't reach the ejection switch.
  • * '>citation
    • The laws of physics and chemistry transform a meadow of fine powder into a wreckage of icy chunks. Saugstad’s pinwheeling body would freeze into whatever position it was in the moment the snow stopped.

    cartwheel

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The literal wheel of a cart.
  • A gymnastic maneuver whereby the gymnast rotates to one side or the other while keeping arms and legs outstretched, spinning for one or more revolutions.
  • A crown coin; its value, 5 shillings.
  • *1859 ,
  • *:Half-a-crown'' is known as an (alderman), (half a bull), (half a tusheroon), and a (madza caroon); whilst a ''crown'' piece, or ''five shillings , may be called either a (bull), or a (caroon), or a (cartwheel), or a (coachwheel), or a (thick-un), or a (tusheroon).
  • A silver dollar of the larger size produced before 1979.

    • Verb

  • To perform the gymnastics feat of a cartwheel.
  • To flip end over end: normally said of a crashing vehicle or aircraft.
    • The race car hit a bump and cartwheeled over the finish line.