spin

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a distinctive interpretation (especially as used by politicians to sway public opinion)

   the campaign put a favorable spin on the story

2. 2
   noun

   a short drive in a car

   I took the new car for a spin.

3. 3
   noun

   the act of rotating rapidly

   We gave the crank a spin.

4. 4
   verb

   prolong or extend

   spin out a visit

5. 5
   verb

   twist and turn so as to give an intended interpretation

   The President's spokesmen had to spin the story to make it less embarrassing

6. 6
   verb

   work natural fibers into a thread

   spin silk

7. 7
   verb

   form a web by making a thread

   spiders spin a fine web

8. 8
   verb

   make up a story

   spin a yarn

Etymology

From Middle English spinnen, from Old English spinnan, from Proto-Germanic *spinnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)penh₁-. Cognates Cognate with Dutch, German spinnen (“to spin”), Luxembourgish spannen (“to spin”), Yiddish שפּינען (shpinen, “spin”), Danish spinde (“to spin”), Faroese, Icelandic and Swedish spinna (“to spin”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk spinne (“to spin”), Gothic 𐍃𐍀𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (spinnan, “to spin”).