whorl

[hwurl, hwawrl, wurl, wawrl]

noun

1. a circular arrangement of like parts, as leaves or flowers, around a point on an axis; verticil.

2. one of the turns or volutions of a spiral shell.

3. anything shaped like a coil.

4. one of the central ridges of a fingerprint, forming at least one complete circle.

5. Textiles.,  a flywheel or pulley, as for a spindle.

whorl

/ wɜːl /

noun

1. botany a radial arrangement of three or more petals, stamens, leaves, etc, around a stem

2. zoology a single turn in a spiral shell

3. one of the basic patterns of the human fingerprint, formed by several complete circular ridges one inside another Compare arch 1 loop 1

4. anything shaped like a coil

whorl

1. An arrangement of three or more appendages radiating in a circular or spiral arrangement from a point on a plant, as leaves around the node of a stem. The sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels of angiosperms form four separate whorls within a complete flower.

2. A single turn of a spiral shell of a mollusk.

Other Word Forms

• whorled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of whorl¹

1425–75; late Middle English whorle, whorvil, wharwyl, Old English hwyrfel, equivalent to hweorfa whorl of a spindle + -el noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of whorl¹

C15: probably variant of wherville _whirl , influenced by Dutch worvel

Example Sentences

In the early morning, the east-facing yard is alive with butterflies and bees, dancing over electric-purple whorls of celestial blue sage and sunny Palmer’s Indian mallow growing over the fence.

From Los Angeles Times

She also got an up-close look at the delicate purple whorls on the outside of exterior of the snails’ shells.

From Los Angeles Times

Representations of the religious teacher started out as nearly abstract symbols a few thousand years ago — a starburst shape inside a spiraling whorl, for example, which configures an emanation of light within an eternal flow.

From Los Angeles Times

Its deep crimson color and complex bloom — a crowded whorl of ruffled petals that coalesce in the center to form a heart — add an element of visual intrigue.

From Los Angeles Times

The team also noted oddities in the tissue, such as a small number of axons that formed extensive whorls.

From Science Daily