whirr
Soft spinning sound
Whirr is the continuous low buzzing or humming sound of something spinning rapidly—a fan, a motor, helicopter blades.
The word imitates the sound it describes: The camera whirred as it advanced the film.
As a verb, to whirr is to make this sound or move while making it: Hummingbirds whirred past the feeder.
Also spelled whir.
Low steady sound
- buzzContinuous low drone
- droneUnmanned flying machine
- purrFeline contentment sound
- whizInformal term for expert
whoosh · swoosh · swish · whish · murmur · throb · rumble · vibration
Energy-to-motion converter
- engineMachine producing motion
- gearsToothed rotating machine parts
- turbineBlade-driven energy converter
- fanAdmirer or air mover
propeller · blender · processor · hard drive · servo · compressor · generator · spindle
hum
Low steady sound
whiz · whoosh · swoosh · swish · whish · murmur · throb · rumble · vibration · reverberation
motor
Energy-to-motion converter
- engineMachine producing motion
- gearsToothed rotating machine parts
- turbineBlade-driven energy converter
fan · propeller · blender · processor · hard drive · servo · compressor · generator · spindle · rotor
flutter
Rapid light movement
- hummingbirdSmall nectar-feeding hoverer
- beeStinging nectar gatherer
- dragonflyLarge-eyed flying predator
beetle · moth · insect · hovering · beating · vibrating · flapping · cicada · mosquito · flying
rotate
Turn about an axis
whirl · spiral · wheel · swivel · blur · disk · rotation · spinning · circular · cyclone
- onomatopoeiabang, bam, boom, buzz, clang
- noisewhite noise, pink noise, brown noise, static, hiss