whir

English

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /wɜː/
- Audio (London): (file)
(US) IPA^(key): /wɝ/
- Audio (US): (file)
(Scotland) IPA^(key): /ʍɪr/
(New Zealand) IPA^(key): /wøː/
(Liverpool, fair–fur merger) IPA^(key): /weː/
(Humberside, Teesside, fair–fur merger) IPA^(key): /wɛː/
(Lancashire, fair–fur merger) IPA^(key): /wɜː(ɹ)/
Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)
Homophones: were (fern–fir–fur merger), where (fair–fur merger), ware (fair–fur merger, wine–whine merger)

whir (plural whirs)

Alternative spelling of whirr.
- 1909, William Hope Hodgson, The Ghost Pirates:
  Suddenly, the time-keeper struck three bells, and the deeper notes of the bell forrard, answered them. I gave a start. It seemed to me that they had been struck close to my elbow. There was something unaccountably strange in the air that night. Then, even as the Second Mate answered the look-out's "All's well," there came the sharp whir and rattle of running gear, on the port side of the mainmast.

whir (third-person singular simple present whirs, present participle whirring, simple past and past participle whirred)

Alternative spelling of whirr.
- 2025 November 12, David Stubbings, “Rail reform bill: pledge to rebuild trust of passengers”, in RAIL, number 1048, page 6:
  She said: " We're not wasting time. While the cogs of Parliament continue to whir, we will continue to work on the rolling stock and infrastructure strategy, the national transport integrated strategy, and our accessibility roadmap.