spin
spin — noun
- spinsingular
- spinsplural
1. The fast circular movement of an object around its own centre.
The fast circular movement of an object around its own centre.
Eri gave the top a hard spin and watched it wobble across the table.
give something a spin — collocation
The spin of the Earth on its axis causes day and night.
A good spin on a tennis ball makes the shot much harder to return.
The racing car went into a spin on the wet track and crashed into the barrier.
- rotation
more formal; describes the circular motion itself rather than an occasion of spinning
- revolution
used for a complete turn around a centre; also means a full circle
- whirl
suggests faster, less controlled movement than spin
文法句型
give something a spin
a spin of something
用法筆記
Often used with 'give' in the phrase 'give something a spin' to mean 'make something spin once'. The uncountable form refers to the general property of spinning (e.g. 'the spin of a ball').
常見錯誤
2. The practice of presenting facts about an event in a biased manner, aimed at cre
The practice of presenting facts about an event in a biased manner, aimed at creating a more favourable impression than the truth would allow, particularly in political or corporate contexts.
The politician's team worked hard to put a positive spin on the job-loss figures.
put a [adjective] spin on something
Kwame read the company's statement and felt it was just spin with no real facts.
No matter how much spin the government uses, voters can see the truth for themselves.
The press release was full of spin, so Chen decided to check the original data himself.
- bias
stronger suggestion of dishonesty; often used for media coverage
- interpretation
neutral term for how something is understood; spin is a deliberately skewed interpretation
- propaganda
much stronger; organised, large-scale spreading of ideas to benefit a group
- truth
plain facts without manipulation
文法句型
put a spin on something
give something a spin
用法筆記
Almost always used negatively or critically, suggesting dishonesty or manipulation. 'Spin doctor' is the informal term for a person whose job is to create favourable spin for a politician or organisation.
常見錯誤
3. A short, enjoyable trip in a car, taken for pleasure rather than to reach a part
A short, enjoyable trip in a car, taken for pleasure rather than to reach a particular place.
After lunch, Hugo took his grandmother for a spin around the countryside.
take someone for a spin
Ishaan and Sivan went for a spin along the coast road before the sun set.
Erik took his new motorbike for a spin around the block to test the engine.
After the car was fixed, Fatima and her dad went for a spin to make sure it ran smoothly.
文法句型
go for a spin
take someone for a spin
用法筆記
This sense is exclusively used with 'for a spin' in phrases like 'go for a spin' or 'take someone for a spin'. It always implies a leisure activity, not commuting or errands.
4. A type of physical exercise done on a stationary bicycle in a group class, usual
A type of physical exercise done on a stationary bicycle in a group class, usually with fast music, where the rider pedals hard without moving forward.
Élise goes to a spin class at the gym every Saturday before work.
spin class
Mauricio bought special cycling shoes for his spin sessions because his feet kept slipping.
After an hour of spin, Esme's legs were shaking but she felt great.
The instructor led a forty-minute spin session that left everyone covered in sweat.
- cycling
general term; spin refers to a specific indoor group-exercise format
- indoor cycling
more formal term for the same activity
文法句型
spin class
do spin
spin — verb
- spinpresent simple I / you / we / they
- spinshe / she / it
- spunpast simple
- spinning-ing form
1. To move in a fast circular motion around its own centre, or to cause an object t
To move in a fast circular motion around its own centre, or to cause an object to move in this way.
The helicopter's blades began to spin as the pilot prepared for take-off.
intransitive: blades / wheels spin
Christopher spun the globe on his desk and stopped it with his finger on Japan.
transitive: spin + object
The wheels of the delivery truck spun uselessly in the thick mud.
Pim spun the bottle on the floor and waited to see who it would point at.
- rotate
more formal and technical; slower and more controlled than spin
- revolve
move in a circle around something else; not the same as turning on one's own axis
- whirl
faster and wilder than spin; often implies a lack of control
- twirl
lighter, more playful; often done with the fingers or by a person turning
- stop
cease all movement
文法句型
something spins
spin something
用法筆記
Common in both transitive and intransitive forms. The intransitive form ('the fan spins') describes the movement itself; the transitive form ('she spun the wheel') describes someone making it happen.
常見錯誤
2. To experience a sensation that the surrounding environment is rotating, causing
To experience a sensation that the surrounding environment is rotating, causing a loss of steady balance or clear thinking, typically resulting from sickness, exhaustion, or confusion.
After the roller coaster, Erik's head was spinning and he had to sit down on a bench.
head spins
The whole room seemed to spin when Yuki stood up from her chair too quickly.
Eri's head spun with all the figures and deadlines the manager had thrown at her.
The heat and the noise made the room spin around Oliver until he had to lie down.
文法句型
head spins
room spins
head spins with something
用法筆記
Subject is usually 'head' or 'room'. Cannot be used transitively (you cannot 'spin someone's head' in this sense, though 'make someone's head spin' is a common idiomatic alternative).
常見錯誤
3. To make thread or yarn by twisting together natural fibres such as wool, cotton,
To make thread or yarn by twisting together natural fibres such as wool, cotton, or silk, using your fingers or a machine.
In the mountain village, the women still spin wool into thread using old wooden wheels.
spin [fibre] into [thread]
Rashid watched the elderly craftsman spin cotton onto a large wooden spindle.
Before factories existed, families had to spin their own thread to make clothes.
Mei-Lin learned to spin yak wool into thick yarn during her visit to a Tibetan village.
- weave
the next step after spinning; weaving crosses threads over and under each other to make fabric
文法句型
spin something into thread
spin wool / cotton / silk
用法筆記
Frequently used in the pattern 'spin + material + into + thread/yarn'. The verb is often associated with traditional crafts rather than industrial manufacturing.
4. When a spider, insect, or similar creature produces a fine thread from inside it
When a spider, insect, or similar creature produces a fine thread from inside its body and builds it into a trapping net, a protective casing, or another such structure.
A large garden spider had spun a beautiful web between two rose bushes overnight.
spin a web
The silkworm spins a cocoon of fine thread around itself before turning into a moth.
A tiny spider spun a delicate web across the corner of the bathroom mirror.
The caterpillar spun a silk cocoon on the underside of a broad green leaf.
- weave
used for humans making fabric, not for spiders producing webs
文法句型
spin a web
spin a cocoon
用法筆記
Most common with spiders ('spin a web') and silkworms ('spin a cocoon'). The object is the structure produced (web, cocoon), not the thread itself.
5. To recount a narrative or provide an account that is engaging or amusing, freque
To recount a narrative or provide an account that is engaging or amusing, frequently one that includes exaggeration, invention, or departure from strict fact.
Aunt Sofia could spin a fascinating tale about her childhood in the mountains for hours.
spin a tale
The old fisherman spun a yarn about catching a fish as big as a boat.
spin a yarn — informal idiom for a long, unlikely story
Cyrus spun an elaborate excuse about traffic and broken trains to explain his lateness.
At the campfire, Björn spun a ghost story that kept the children awake all night.
- report
give facts without adding imagination
文法句型
spin a tale / yarn / story
用法筆記
Often used with 'tale' or 'yarn' (an old-fashioned word for a long story). When used for excuses, it implies the excuse is clever but not believable.
6. To travel or move along quickly, especially in a vehicle with wheels.
To travel or move along quickly, especially in a vehicle with wheels.
The cyclists spun down the mountain road with the cold wind in their faces.
A red sports car spun past us on the highway at well over a hundred and fifty kilometres an hour.
spin past — collocation for fast movement
The delivery van spun around the corner and disappeared into the narrow alley.
Santiago spun along the coastal road on his motorcycle, enjoying the sea breeze.
文法句型
spin along / past / down
用法筆記
Always used with an adverb or prepositional phrase indicating direction (past, down, along). Cannot stand alone as 'The car spins' to mean 'The car moves fast'.
7. To frame news, data, or events in a manner calculated to produce a desired impre
To frame news, data, or events in a manner calculated to produce a desired impression — most often a flattering one — rather than a neutral account, particularly in political or commercial settings.
The minister's office spun the job losses as a painful but necessary step for growth.
spin [bad news] as [something positive]
However cleverly the report was spun, the shareholders noticed the falling profits.
passive: [report / news] was spun
The company's PR team tried to spin the product recall as a sign of high safety standards.
Aisha felt the newspaper columnist was spinning the facts to make the mayor look bad.
- manipulate
stronger negative; implies active dishonesty rather than just skewing the story
- slant
similar meaning but less common as a verb
- report
present facts without bias
文法句型
spin something as something
spin the news / story
用法筆記
Always carries a negative implication that the presentation is misleading. The passive form ('the story was spun') is very common in media contexts.