aswirl

aswirl

English

Etymology

a- +‎ swirl

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈswɜː(ɹ)l/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)l

Adverb

aswirl (not comparable)

1. Swirling; in a swirl; full of or surrounded by something swirling.
   • 1922, DuBose Heyward and Hervey Allen, “The Pirates” in Carolina Chansons, New York: Macmillan, p. 30,

     A burst of cloudy topsails

     Go blowing swiftly by,

     With the stars aswirl behind them

     Like bright dust down the sky.

   • 1983, Joseph Brodsky, “Lithuanian Nocturne” in To Urania, New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, p. 8,

     snow’s aswirl like the ashes from burnt-out celestial wards,

   • 1993, Kim Stanley Robinson, Green Mars, New York: Bantam, Part 1,

     The air was aswirl with screaming gulls.

   • 2007 January 19, Stephen Holden, “A Producer for All Seasons (Also Juggles)”, in New York Times‎:

     An ebullient woman aswirl in colorful layers of bargain-basement clothes and zany hats, Barbara Siegel also happens to be chairwoman of the Drama Desk nominating committee.

Anagrams

• Warlis, sirwal