whorl
noun
1
: a drum-shaped section on the lower part of a spindle in spinning or weaving machinery serving as a pulley for the tape drive that rotates the spindle
2
: an arrangement of similar anatomical parts (such as leaves) in a circle around a point on an axis
3
: something that whirls, coils, or spirals or whose form suggests such movement : swirl
whorls of snow
4
: one of the turns of a univalve shell
5
: a fingerprint in which the central papillary ridges turn through at least one complete circle
Examples of whorl in a Sentence
the whorls and eddies of the river
the whorl of a fingerprint
Recent Examples on the Web
The clinical focus sits on direction and angulation so transplanted hair blends with natural whorls.
—
Maria Williams, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
From Santiago Ramón y Cajal’s hand came branches and whorls, spines and webs.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
Blue, purple, or white whorls of flowers rise above the strappy foliage in summer.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025
The main focus of the study is the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (KHI), an effect observed in the everyday world when two fluids slide past each other at different speeds, which can sculpt waves and whorls in clouds, rivers, or ocean surfaces.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whorl
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Maria Williams, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
From Santiago Ramón y Cajal’s hand came branches and whorls, spines and webs.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 29 Sep. 2025
Blue, purple, or white whorls of flowers rise above the strappy foliage in summer.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 26 Aug. 2025
The main focus of the study is the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (KHI), an effect observed in the everyday world when two fluids slide past each other at different speeds, which can sculpt waves and whorls in clouds, rivers, or ocean surfaces.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whorl
Cite this Entry
“Whorl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whorl. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whorl
noun
ˈhwȯr(-ə)l 
ˈwȯr(-ə)l
ˈwȯr(-ə)l
ˈhwər(-ə)l,
ˈwər(-ə)l
1
: a row of similar parts (as leaves or petals) in a circle around a point and especially a stem
2
: something that whirls or winds around a center
a whorl of smoke
3
: one of the turns of a shell (as of a snail) having just one valve
4
: a fingerprint in which the central ridges on the skin turn through at least one complete circle
Medical Definition
whorl
noun
ˈhwor(-ə)l
ˈwȯr(-ə)l
ˈwȯr(-ə)l
ˈ(h)wər(-ə)l
: a fingerprint in which the central papillary ridges turn through at least one complete turn
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