spun

A potter spun a clay vase on a wheel.

Definition

1. Verb (past tense and past participle of ):
   • To turn or cause to turn rapidly around an axis: "spun" refers to the action of rotating quickly, as in a wheel or a person turning.
   • To produce thread or yarn by twisting fibers: "spun" describes the process of making thread from raw materials like wool or cotton.
   • To tell a long, elaborate story: "spun" can mean to narrate a tale, often with exaggeration or creativity.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • She spun the wheel to see where it would stop. (She turned the wheel rapidly around its center.)
  • The factory workers spun wool into yarn for sweaters. (They twisted fibers to create thread.)
  • He spun a fascinating story about his travels in Africa. (He told an engaging and detailed narrative.)

Advanced Usage

• "spun out": to prolong or extend something, often unnecessarily.

  • The meeting was spun out for another hour with irrelevant discussions. (The meeting was drawn out longer than needed.)

• "spun off": to create a separate entity from an existing one, such as a company or a TV series.

  • The popular character was spun off into her own show. (A new series was developed from the original.)

Variants and Related Words

• Spin (verb, present tense): to turn or rotate quickly.

  • Watch the dancer spin on one foot. (She rotates rapidly.)

• Spinner (noun): a person or thing that spins, especially a device for angling.

  • The fisherman used a spinner to attract trout. (A rotating lure.)

• Spinning (noun, adjective): the act or process of turning, or the craft of making thread.

  • Spinning wool is a traditional skill. (The process of twisting fibers.)

Synonyms

• Rotated: turned around a central point.
• Twirled: spun quickly and lightly.
• Narrated: told a story (for the storytelling sense).

Phrasal Verbs

• Spin out: to cause to last longer than intended; to lose control while driving.

  • The car spun out on the icy road. (The vehicle skidded and rotated uncontrollably.)

• Spin off: to derive a new product or entity from an existing one.

  • The company spun off its software division into a separate firm. (It created a new company from part of itself.)

Related Idioms

• Spun a yarn: told a long, often improbable story.

  • The old sailor spun a yarn about sea monsters. (He told an elaborate tale.)

• Spun gold: something of great value or beauty, often used metaphorically.

  • Her hair was like spun gold in the sunlight. (Her hair shone like fine gold thread.)