Whorl Meaning
/(h)wɔː(ɹ)l/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounEach circle, volution or equivalent in a pattern of concentric circles, ovals, arcs, or a spiral.
nounA circle of three or more leaves, flowers, or other organs, about the same part or joint of a stem.
Sentence Examples
Can you stop standing behind me and looking at my hair whorl?
An interesting fact is how only 10% of people have an anticlockwise hair whorl.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The fingerprint expert identified the suspect by the unique ____ in his thumbprint.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The researcher noted a unique ____ pattern on the shell of the snail, which helped him to identify the species today.
Word Origin & History
From alteration of whirl (verb).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"“Waves Against the Sand,” to music by Martinu, which opened the program, filled the stage space with whorling patterns of dancers surging with the gentle but ceaseless momentum of the sea."
— 2008 February 12, Jennifer Dunning, “Modern Style, Old-Fashioned Virtues”, in New York Times:
Explore More C2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The fingerprint expert identified the suspect by the unique ____ in his thumbprint.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The researcher noted a unique ____ pattern on the shell of the snail, which helped him to identify the species today.