See Also: spin-spin relaxation(medicine)
spin-off(dictionary)
Put a Spin On(money)
Spin Off(money)
Spin-off(money)
Spin(money)
Spin off(finance)
spin(2)(dictionary)
spin-off(dictionary)
spin(dictionary)

spin (iou)



spin verb. ; pa. pple spun.
[Old English spinnan = Middle & mod. Dutch spinnen, Old High German, Gothic spinnan (German spinnen), Old Norse spinna, from Germanic.]
I.
a. verb trans. & intrans. Draw out and twist (wool, cotton, flax, etc.) by hand or with machinery so as to form thread; make a similar type of thread from (a synthetic substance, glass, etc.). Also foll. by into. OE.
G. R. Porter Glass may be spun into very long and minute threads. L. D. B. Gordon Factories in which raw silk is spun into silk-thread for weaving. J. R. Green To spin their wool from their own sheeps' backs. Ouida She sat at home and span.
b. verb trans. Form (thread etc.) by drawing out and twisting wool etc.; prepare the material for (a fabric or garment) by this process. ME.
P. S. Buck Thread that she herself spun on a bamboo spindle from a wad of cotton.
c. verb trans. & intrans. Of an insect, spider, etc.: produce (glutinous silken threads) from the body by means of special organs; construct (a web, cocoon, etc.) using silken threads. E16.
d. verb intrans. Admit of being converted into thread etc. by spinning. Also foll. by into. L18.
R. Oastler It will not spin into good yarn.
verb trans. fig.
a. Of the Fates etc.: determine or appoint (a person's destiny or fortune) by spinning. LME.
M. Arnold That doom, which long ago The Nornies, when his mother bare him, spun.
b. Tell, write, devise, (a story, plan, etc.), esp. fancifully or lengthily. M16.
J. Halperin Spinning fantastic yarns whose action..took place at sea.
c. = spin out (a), (b), (d) below. E17.
II.
verb intrans. Of blood etc.: issue in a rapid stream; gush, spurt. Freq. foll. by out. LME.
a. verb intrans. Move or travel quickly. Now esp., drive or ride at a rapid and even rate. LME.
F. M. Crawford A cab at the door,..and in a minute..he was spinning along Fifth Avenue.
b. verb trans. Cause (time) to pass; convey rapidly, carry away. L17.
c. verb intrans. Pass or be spent quickly. M19.
verb trans. Cause to turn or revolve rapidly, as on an axis. E17.
R. Hodgson When stately ships are twirled and spun Like whipping tops. R. Rayner He fiddled with the radio, spinning the dial. L. Kennedy Billy and I..spun a coin as to who would go first.
b. Shape (metal) by pressure applied during rotation on a lathe. M19.
c. Impart spin to (a ball) in cricket etc., cause (a ball) to change direction or speed on striking the ground etc. E20.
d. Make (an aircraft, car, etc.) perform a spin. E20.
e. = spin-dry (a) below. M20.
f. Play (a gramophone record), esp. for public entertainment. M20.
New Yorker Nancy.., who spins the platters.., organised the event.
verb intrans. Turn or revolve rapidly, as on an axis; whirl round. M17.
E. J. Howard They nailed the catherine wheels..so that they could spin freely. C. Sagan Our tiny planet, spinning in an almost circular orbit. P. Farmer When the sneeze came from behind me I spun round.
b. Of the brain or head: be dizzy, dazed, or confused through excitement, astonishment, etc. E19.
K. A. Porter Little Sophie's head would spin..trying to follow her brilliant schoolmate's mind.
c. Cricket etc. Of a ball: travel through the air etc. with spin. M19.
d. Of an aircraft, car, pilot, etc.: perform or undergo a spin. E20.
H. Mantel She sees the vehicle spin out of control.
e. (Of a wheel etc.) revolve without providing traction; (of a motor clutch) continue to revolve after being disengaged. E20.
A. Lurie The rear wheels spun violently.
Angling.
a. verb trans. Cause (a spinner or bait) to revolve when drawn through the water by fastening to a hook in a particular manner. E19.
b. verb intrans. Fish with a spinning bait. M19.
c. verb trans. Fish (a pool, stream, etc.) with a spinning bait. L19.
a. verb trans. Reject (a candidate) as not reaching the pass standard in an examination. Usu. in pass. slang. M19.
b. verb intrans. Fail an examination. slang. M19.
With adverbs in specialized senses: spin down (a) verb phr. trans. (Biology) centrifuge so as to cause the separation of components; (b) verb phr. intrans. & trans. (Astronomy) (of a celestial object, esp. a star) rotate more slowly, usu. because of decreasing angular momentum. spin off (a) verb phr. trans. finish or clear off (a distaff etc.) by spinning; (b) verb phr. trans. throw off (as) by centrifugal force in spinning; (c) verb phr. trans. distribute (stock of a new company) to shareholders of a parent company, create (a company) in this way (US); produce as a spin-off or indirect benefit from a large project etc.; (d) verb phr. intrans. be thrown or move off (as) by centrifugal force in spinning. spin out (a) verb phr. trans. make (a story, discussion, period, etc.) lengthy or protracted; prolong, draw out, extend; (b) verb phr. trans. spend or occupy (time) fruitlessly or in a specified way; (c) verb phr. trans. evolve or devise by mental effort, express at length; (d) verb phr. trans. bring to an end, consume, exhaust, (usu. in pass.); (e) verb phr. trans. use (money, a resource, etc.) sparingly, eke out; (f) verb phr. intrans. run out; extend; last out; (g) verb phr. trans. (Cricket) dismiss (a batsman or side) by spin-bowling; (h) verb phr. intrans. (N. Amer. slang) (of a vehicle) skid out of control. spin up verb phr. intrans. & trans. (Astronomy) (of a celestial object, esp. a star) rotate more quickly because of a gain in angular momentum or a redistribution of matter.
Comb.: spin-down (chiefly Astronomy) a decrease in the speed of rotation of something; spin-drier a machine for drying washing by spinning it rapidly in a rotating perforated drum; spin-dry verb & noun (a) verb trans. dry (washing) by spinning it rapidly in a (washing machine with a) spin-drier; (b) noun an instance or spell of spin-drying washing; spin-out N. Amer. slang a skidding spin by a vehicle out of control; spin-rinse a rinsing of washing in a rotating perforated drum which draws off water; a combined rinse and partial spin-dry; spin-scan adjective & noun (a) adjective designating a device having a scanning motion provided by the rotation of the craft carrying it; (b) noun a scan performed or produced by such a device; spintext arch. a clergyman, a parson, esp. one who preaches long or weak sermons; spin-up an increase in the speed of rotation of something.
spinna'bility noun ability to be spun or drawn into a fibre M20.
spinnable adjective able to be spun L19.