birl

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English birlen.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /bɝl/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /bɜːl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)l

Verb

birl (third-person singular simple present birls, present participle birling, simple past and past participle birled)

1. (transitive, intransitive, Scotland) To spin.
   • 1893, Robert Louis Stevenson, chapter XXII, in Catriona, Helvoetsluys:

     About nine in the morning, in a burst of wintry sun between two squalls of hail, I had my first look of Holland - a line of windmills birling in the breeze.

   • 1906, Neil Munro, The Vital Spark, reprinted in 1958, Para Handy Tales,

     "I'll maybe no trouble you long, boys," he moaned lugubriously. "My heid's birling roond that fast that I canna even mind my own name two meenutes."

2. (transitive) To cause (a floating log) to rotate by treading on it.
   • 1903 April, Stewart Edward White, “The Riverman”, in McClure's Magazine, volume 20:

     "That's nothing!" my companion repressed me, "anybody can birl a log. Watch this."
     Roaring Dick for the first time unfolded his arms. With some appearance of caution he balanced his unstable footing into absolute immobility. Then he turned a somersault.

3. (transitive) To throw down a coin as one's share in a joint contribution.

Noun

birl (plural birls)

1. (music, bagpipes) A type of grace note movement that quickly switches between low-A and low-G several times, producing a low rippling sound.

Etymology 2

See birle.

Verb

birl (third-person singular simple present birls, present participle birling, simple past and past participle birled)

1. Alternative form of birle (“to drink, carouse”)
   • 1824, Sir Walter Scott, Redgauntlet:

     So saying, he led the way out through halls and trances that were weel kend to my gudesire, and into the auld oak parlour; and there was as much singing of profane sangs^[sic], and birling of red wine, and speaking blasphemy and sculduddry, as had ever been in Redgauntlet Castle when it was at the blithest.

Etymology 3

Blend of boy +‎ girl

Noun

birl (plural birls)

1. (Internet slang, LGBTQ) A girl of boyish appearance.
   • 2007, Susan Driver, Queer Girls and Popular Culture: Reading, Resisting, and Creating Media:

     Affirmation of the desirability of birls is a key element throughout this online site even when complex issues of gender and sexual positioning are being worked through.

   • 2013, David Buckingham, Rebekah Willett, Digital Generations: Children, Young People, and the New Media:

     The birls forum describes itself as "a community dedicated to boyish/androgynous girls" with open borders such that "all people who don't define themselves as birls are welcome as well, including femmes, bioboys, androgynes, and transguys ... or you could just make up your own label for who you are" (Birls Live Journal, 2004).

Anagrams

• bril