Wheel vs. Whirl — What's the Difference?

In its primitive form, a wheel is a circular block of a hard and durable material at whose center has been bored a hole through which is placed an axle bearing about which the wheel rotates when torque is applied to the wheel about its axis. The wheel and axle assembly can be considered one of the six simple machines.

Move or cause to move rapidly round and round

A circular object that revolves on an axle and is fixed below a vehicle or other object to enable it to move easily over the ground

A rapid movement round and round.

A machine or structure having a wheel as its essential part.

A specified kind of sweet or biscuit with a spiral shape

A car

To rotate rapidly about a center or an axis; spin.

A thing resembling a wheel, in particular a cheese made in the form of a shallow disc

To move while rotating or turning about

An instance of wheeling; a turn or rotation.

To turn rapidly, changing direction; wheel

Short for big wheel (sense 2)

To have the sensation of spinning; reel

A set of short lines, typically five in number and rhyming, concluding the stanza of a poem.

To cause to rotate or turn rapidly

Push or pull (a vehicle with wheels)

To cause to move with a spinning motion

(of a bird or aircraft) fly in a wide circle or curve

To drive at high speed

A solid disk or a rigid circular ring connected by spokes to a hub, designed to turn around an axle passed through the center.

(Obsolete) To hurl.

The steering device on a vehicle.

The act of rotating or revolving rapidly.

A potter's wheel.

Something, such as a cloud of dust, that whirls or is whirled.

A water wheel.

A state of confusion; a tumult

A spinning wheel.

A swift succession or round of events

(Games) A device used in roulette and other games of chance.

A state of mental confusion or giddiness; dizziness

A firework that rotates while burning.

(Informal) A short trip or ride.

(Informal) A bicycle.

(Informal) A brief or experimental try

A large, roughly circular block of cheese.

(intransitive) To rotate, revolve, spin or turn rapidly.

A wheel-shaped instrument on which victims were bound for torture and execution in medieval and early modern Europe.

(intransitive) To have a sensation of spinning or reeling.

Wheels Forces that provide energy, movement, or direction

(transitive) To make something or someone whirl.

The act or process of turning; revolution or rotation.

(transitive) To remove or carry quickly with, or as with, a revolving motion; to snatch.

A military maneuver executed in order to change the direction of movement of a formation, as of troops or ships, in which the formation is maintained while the outer unit describes an arc and the inner or center unit remains stationary as a pivot.

An act of whirling.

Wheels(Slang) A motor vehicle or access thereto

Something that whirls.

(Slang) A person with a great deal of power or influence

A confused tumult.

To roll, move, or transport on wheels or a wheel.

A rapid series of events.

To cause to turn around or as if around a central axis; revolve or rotate.

Dizziness or giddiness.

To provide with wheels or a wheel.

(informal) usually following “give” A brief experiment or trial.

To turn around or as if around a central axis; revolve or rotate.

To turn round rapidly; to cause to rotate with velocity; to make to revolve.

To roll or move on or as if on wheels or a wheel.

To remove or carry quickly with, or as with, a revolving motion; to snatch; to harry.

To fly in a curving or circular course

To be turned round rapidly; to move round with velocity; to revolve or rotate with great speed; to gyrate.

To turn or whirl around in place; pivot

To move hastily or swiftly.

To reverse one's opinion or practice

A turning with rapidity or velocity; rapid rotation or circumvolution; quick gyration; rapid or confusing motion; as, the whirl of a top; the whirl of a wheel.

A circular device capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation or performing labour in machines.

Anything that moves with a whirling motion.

A steering wheel and its implied control of a vehicle.

A revolving hook used in twisting, as the hooked spindle of a rope machine, to which the threads to be twisted are attached.

(nautical) The instrument attached to the rudder by which a vessel is steered.

A whorl. See Whorl.

A spinning wheel.

Confused movement;

A potter's wheel.

The shape of something rotating rapidly

The breaking wheel, an old instrument of torture.

A usually brief attempt;

(slang) A person with a great deal of power or influence; a big wheel.

The act of rotating rapidly;

A superuser on certain systems.

Turn in a twisting or spinning motion;

(poker slang) The lowest straight in poker: ace, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Cause to spin;

(automotive) A wheelrim.

Flow in a circular current, of liquids

A round portion of cheese.

Revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis;

A Catherine wheel firework.

Fly around;

(obsolete) A rolling or revolving body; anything of a circular form; a disk; an orb.

A turn or revolution; rotation; compass.

(figurative) A recurring or cyclical course of events.

A dollar.

A crown coin; a "cartwheel".

A bicycle or tricycle.

A manoeuvre in marching in which the marchers turn in a curving fashion to right or left so that the order of marchers does not change.

(transitive) To roll along on wheels.

(transitive) To transport something or someone using any wheeled mechanism, such as a wheelchair.

To ride a bicycle or tricycle.

(intransitive) To change direction quickly, turn, pivot, whirl, wheel around.

(transitive) To cause to change direction quickly, turn.

(intransitive) To travel around in large circles, particularly in the air.

(transitive) To put into a rotatory motion; to cause to turn or revolve; to make or perform in a circle.

A circular frame turning about an axis; a rotating disk, whether solid, or a frame composed of an outer rim, spokes or radii, and a central hub or nave, in which is inserted the axle, - used for supporting and conveying vehicles, in machinery, and for various purposes; as, the wheel of a wagon, of a locomotive, of a mill, of a watch, etc.

Any instrument having the form of, or chiefly consisting of, a wheel.

A spinning wheel. See under Spinning.

A bicycle or a tricycle; a velocipede.

An instrument of torture formerly used.

A rolling or revolving body; anything of a circular form; a disk; an orb.

A circular frame having handles on the periphery, and an axle which is so connected with the tiller as to form a means of controlling the rudder for the purpose of steering.

A turn revolution; rotation; compass.

A potter's wheel. See under Potter.

A firework which, while burning, is caused to revolve on an axis by the reaction of the escaping gases.

The burden or refrain of a song.

To convey on wheels, or in a wheeled vehicle; as, to wheel a load of hay or wood.

To put into a rotatory motion; to cause to turn or revolve; to cause to gyrate; to make or perform in a circle.

To turn on an axis, or as on an axis; to revolve; to more about; to rotate; to gyrate.

To change direction, as if revolving upon an axis or pivot; to turn; as, the troops wheeled to the right.

To go round in a circuit; to fetch a compass.

To roll forward.

A simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)

A handwheel that is used for steering

A circular helm to control the rudder of a vessel

Game equipment consisting of a rotating wheel with slots that is used for gambling; players bet on which slot the roulette ball will stop in

An instrument of torture that stretches or disjoints or mutilates victims

A wheeled vehicle that has two wheels and is moved by foot pedals

Change directions as if revolving on a pivot;

Wheel somebody or something

Move along on or as if on wheels or a wheeled vehicle;

Ride a bicycle