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birl

UK:^*^*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/bɜːl/, /bɪrl/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(bûrl)

birl (bûrl),USA pronunciation v.t.

Building, Dialect Terms[Chiefly Northern U.S. Lumbering.]to cause (a floating log) to rotate rapidly by treading upon it.
British Termsto spin or cause to rotate.

v.i.

Dialect Terms, Building[Chiefly Northern U.S. Lumbering.]to cause a floating log to rotate rapidly by treading on it.
British Terms
- to move or rotate rapidly.
- [Informal.]to spend money freely.
- [Informal.]to gamble.

British Termsan attempt;
a gamble.

perh. blend of, blended birr¹ and whirl, influenced, in some senses, by birle 1715–25

birl′er, n.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

birl /bɜːl; Scottish: bɪrl/ vb

Scot to spin; twirl
US Canadian to cause (a floating log) to spin using the feet while standing on it, esp as a sport among lumberjacks

a variant spelling of burl²

Etymology: 18th Century: probably imitative and influenced by whirl and hurl

burl (bûrl),USA pronunciation n.

Textilesa small knot or lump in wool, thread, or cloth.
Furniturea dome-shaped growth on the trunk of a tree;
a wartlike structure sometimes 2 ft. (0.6 m) across and 1 ft. (0.3 m) or more in height, sliced to make veneer.

v.t.

Textilesto remove burls from (cloth) in finishing.

1400–50; late Middle English burle

burl′er, n.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

burl /bɜːl/ n

a small knot or lump in wool
a roundish warty outgrowth from the trunk, roots, or branches of certain trees

(transitive) to remove the burls from (cloth)

Etymology: 15th Century: from Old French burle tuft of wool, probably ultimately from Late Latin burra shaggy cloth

burl, birl /bɜːl/ n informal

Scot Austral NZ an attempt; try (esp in the phrase give it a burl)
Austral NZ a ride in a car

Etymology: 20th Century: perhaps from birl¹ in the Scot sense: a twist or turn

'birl' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

burl - logrolling - birling

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birl