ˈwhirly-
obs. or dial. var. of whirl- in comb., as † whirly-bat, † whirly-pool, whirly-wind = whirlbat, -pool, -wind (cf. whirligig and whirlgig); also whirly-go-round (also whirligoround), a merry-go-round; † whirly-hole (see quot.); † whirly-rock, a spiral or turbinate fossil shell; whirly-whirly, (a) a dentist's drill (nonce-use); (b) Austral., a whirling air current or dust cloud.
| 1725 Bailey Erasm. Colloq. (1733) 42 The fighting with *Whirly-bats. |
| 1865 Meredith Rhoda Fleming xliii, He was a faithful servant, till one day he got up on a regular *whirly-go-round, and ever since{ddd}such a little boy! 1871 ― Harry Richmond xlvi, Like one who has been gazing on the whirligoround, he saw the whole of women running or..waiting..to run the giddy ring to perdition. |
| 1686 Plot Staffordsh. 172 At Kinfare Towne,..there goes another hole into the rock,..call'd *whirleyhole, from the Eddy of water the River makes at the mouth of it. |
| 1727 Bailey (Vol. II.), *Whirly-pool. 1892 Meredith Ode, To Comic Spirit 87 These..Would keep our life the whirly pool Of turbid stuff. 1904 Rickert Reaper xix, There's often whirly-pools in the sea. |
| 1681 Grew Musæum iii. i. i. 265 A piece of *Whirly-Rock. Turbinites Saxum. |
| 1928 A. P. Herbert Trials of Topsy xii. 73 He thrust the *whirly-whirly inch by inch into the very dome of a girl's head. 1930 V. Palmer Men are Human xiii. 112 A cool breeze..raised little whirly-whirlies of dust. 1959 Listener 15 Jan. 113/1 The dust whirls and capers into fantastic whirlie-whirlies. 1972 Southerly XXXII. 4 A small whirly-whirly swept down the verandah, lifting dust and lolly papers in a mini-spiral. |
| 14.. Trevisa's Barth. De P.R. xi. iv. (Bodl. MS.), *Whirly winde and a raynye cloude. |