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Spin vs Purr - What's the difference?

spin | purr |

In transitive terms the difference between spin and purr

is that spin is to make yarn by twisting and winding fibers together while purr is to say (something) in a throaty, seductive manner.

As verbs the difference between spin and purr

is that spin is to rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction while purr is of a cat, to make a vibrating sound in its throat when contented.

As nouns the difference between spin and purr

is that spin is circular motion while purr is the vibrating sound made by a cat in its throat when contented.

As an adjective spin

is describing a spin bowler, or his style of bowling.

spin

English

Verb

  • (ergative) To rotate, revolve, gyrate (usually quickly); to partially or completely rotate to face another direction.
  • I spun myself around a few times.
    Spin the ball on the floor.
    The Earth spins with a period of one day.
    She spun around and gave him a big smile.
  • * Longfellow
  • Round about him spun the landscape, / Sky and forest reeled together.
  • To make yarn by twisting and winding fibers together.
  • They spin the cotton into thread.
  • * Prior
  • They neither know to spin , nor care to toil.
  • To present, describe, or interpret, or to introduce a bias or slant so as to give something a favorable or advantageous appearance.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2006, date=February 9, title=The Politics of Science, work=The Washington Post citation
  • , passage=In every administration there will be spokesmen and public affairs officers who try to spin' the news to make the president look good. But this administration is trying to ' spin scientific data and muzzle scientists toward that end.}}
  • (cricket, of a bowler) To make the ball move sideways when it bounces on the pitch.
  • (cricket, of a ball) To move sideways when bouncing.
  • (cooking) To form into thin strips or ribbons, as with sugar
  • To form (a web, a cocoon, silk, etc.) from threads produced by the extrusion of a viscid, transparent liquid, which hardens on coming into contact with the air; said of the spider, the silkworm, etc.
  • To shape, as malleable sheet metal, into a hollow form, by bending or buckling it by pressing against it with a smooth hand tool or roller while the metal revolves, as in a lathe.
  • To move swiftly.
  • to spin along the road in a carriage, on a bicycle, etc.
  • To stream or issue in a thread or a small current or jet.
  • Blood spins from a vein.
    (Shakespeare)
  • To twist (hay) into ropes for convenient carriage on an expedition.
  • (computing, programming, intransitive) To wait in a loop until some condition becomes true.
  • Synonyms

    * (give something a favorable appearance) whitewash, sugarcoat, put lipstick on, gild, blandish, dress up

    Hypernyms

    * revolve * rotate * turn

    Derived terms

    * respin * spin one's wheels * spin out * spinster

    See also

    * turn around

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Circular motion.
  • The car went into a spin .
    The skaters demonstrated their spins .
    ''He put some spin on the cue ball.
    One of the planet's moons has a slower spin than the others.
  • (physics) A quantum angular momentum associated with subatomic particles, which also creates a magnetic moment.
  • A favourable comment or interpretation intended to bias opinion on an otherwise unpleasant situation.
  • (sports) Rotation of the ball as it flies through the air; sideways movement of the ball as it bounces.
  • A condition of flight where a stalled aircraft is simultaneously pitching, yawing and rolling in a spinning motion.
  • A brief trip by vehicle.
  • A bundle of spun material; a mass of strands and filaments.
  • * 1913 , DH Lawrence,
  • She left him alone, and went to get Annie a spin of toffee.

    Derived terms

    * backspin * Biellmann spin * camel spin * layback spin * media spin * parallel spin * sidespin * sit spin * spin doctor * take for a spin * topspin * upright spin

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (cricket) Describing a spin bowler, or his style of bowling.
  • purr

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • Of a cat, to make a vibrating sound in its throat when contented.
  • To say (something) in a throaty, seductive manner.
  • * 2008 , C. E. Osborne, Black Gold Death in the Sun (page 12)
  • "This is Cindy," she purred again, flashing a smile of perfect white teeth surrounded by full red lips.
  • To make a vibrating throaty sound, as from pleasure.
  • (of an engine) To make a low and consistent rumbling sound.
  • * 2001 , E. C. Craver, Last Reunion (page 159)
  • Beverly passed the city limits sign with the Porsche's motor purring contentedly after its two hundred and fifty-mile romp.

    Derived terms

    * purrer * purr like a kitten

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The vibrating sound made by a cat in its throat when contented.
  • * 1918 , Sarath Kumar Ghosh, The wonders of the jungle - Volume 2 (page 113)
  • Instead, the tiger looked around, and gave a purr , and then a growl. What did that mean? The man could not tell. Then the tiger just flung upon the man some of the sand from the side of the hollow.
  • A throaty, seductive sound of pleasure made by a person.
  • * 2006 , Brenda Williamson, Wolverton Blood (page 53)
  • The trill of her purr echoed inside his mouth when he kissed her again. Clutching at his shirt, her fingers traveled the muscles in his back.
  • The low consistent rumble made by an engine at slow speed
  • * 1997 , Susan Wood, A Fly in Amber (page 191)
  • I sat still in the car and listened to the soft purr of the engine and my beating heart. Then slowly, and as silently as possible, I drove the car back to camp.

    Derived terms

    * purrlike

    See also

    * meow English onomatopoeias