English edit

Etymology edit

a- +‎ swirl

Pronunciation edit

Adverb edit

aswirl (not comparable)

  1. Swirling; in a swirl; full of or surrounded by something swirling.
    • 1922, DuBose Heyward, Hervey Allen, “The Pirates”, in Carolina Chansons[1], New York: Macmillan, page 30:
      A burst of cloudy topsails
      Go blowing swiftly by,
      With the stars aswirl behind them
      Like bright dust down the sky.
    • 1983, Joseph Brodsky, “Lithuanian Nocturne”, in To Urania[2], New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, page 8:
      snow’s aswirl like the ashes from burnt-out celestial wards,
    • 1993, Kim Stanley Robinson, Green Mars[3], New York: Bantam, Part 1:
      The air was aswirl with screaming gulls.
    • 2007 January 19, Stephen Holden, “A Producer for All Seasons (Also Juggles)”, in New York Times[4]:
      An ebullient woman aswirl in colorful layers of bargain-basement clothes and zany hats, Barbara Siegel also happens to be chairwoman of the Drama Desk nominating committee.

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