Where does “whirr” come from?

Whirr comes from Middle English whirren, of unknown origin and meaning.

whirr (English): To move or vibrate with a buzzing sound; To make...

Definitions

  1. To move or vibrate with a buzzing sound; To make...

Ancestry of “whirr”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwhirren—
2Old Norsehvirflato whirl, spread

Words derived from “whirr”

Every word from Old Norse hvirfla →Every word from Middle English whirren →