Whir
/wɜːr/noun
To make a rapid, humming or buzzing sound; also, the sound itself.
Did you know?Whir is a sound-symbolic word, meaning its form was shaped to imitate the noise it describes rather than borrowed from a deeper ancient root.
Etymological Timeline
Late Middle English
English
whirren
“To make a whirring or buzzing sound; to move or go quickly with such a sound.”
16th Century
English
whir
“A whirring sound or rapid motion accompanied by sound.”
Modern English
English
whir
“A humming, buzzing, or rapidly spinning sound; to move with such a sound.”
Modern English
English
whirr
“A variant spelling used for the same sound and motion.”