spin

Syllabification: (spin)

Pronunciation: /spin/

Definition of spin

1turn or cause to turn or whirl around quickly: [no object]:the girl spun around in alarm the rear wheels spun violently [with object]:he fiddled with the radio, spinning the dial
[no object] (of a person’s head) give a sensation of dizziness:the figures were enough to make her head spin
[with object] chiefly Cricket impart a revolving motion to (a ball) when bowling.
[no object] (of a ball) move through the air with a revolving motion.
[with object] give (a news story or other information) a particular interpretation, especially a favorable one.
[with object] shape (sheet metal) by pressure applied during rotation on a lathe: (as adjective spun)spun metal components

2 [with object] draw out (wool, cotton, or other material) and convert it into threads, either by hand or with machinery:they spin wool into the yarn for weaving (as adjective spun)spun glass
make (threads) by drawing out and twisting fibers:this method is used to spin filaments from syrups
(of a spider or a silkworm or other insect) produce (gossamer or silk) or construct (a web or cocoon) by extruding a fine viscous thread from a special gland.

1a rapid turning or whirling motion:he concluded the dance with a double spin
revolving motion imparted to a ball in a game such as baseball, cricket, tennis, or billiards:this racket enables the player to impart more spin to the ball
[in singular] a particular bias, interpretation, or point of view, intended to create a favorable (or sometimes, unfavorable) impression when presented to the public:he tried to put a positive spin on the president’s campaign
[usually in singular] an uncontrolled fast revolving descent of an aircraft, resulting from a stall:he tried to stop the plane from going into a spin
Physics the intrinsic angular momentum of a subatomic particle.

2 [in singular] informal a brief trip in a vehicle for pleasure:a spin around town

Phrases

spin something off: (of a parent company) turn a subsidiary into a new and separate company.
spin out: (of a driver or car) lose control, especially in a skid.
spin something out: make something last as long as possible:they seem keen to spin out the debate through their speeches and interventions; spend or occupy time aimlessly or without profit:Shane and Mary played games to spin out the afternoon

Old English spinnan 'draw out and twist (fiber)'; related to German spinnen. The noun dates from the mid 19th century

Definition of spin in the British & World English dictionary