swirl

verb

1. (ambitransitive)To twist or whirl, as an eddy.

   “I swirled my brush around in the paint.”

   “The river swirled along.”

   “The contest was a lot more even in the second half, as the wind swirled around the Stadium of Light, but it took Craig Gardner's superb block to prevent Young getting on the scoresheet.”

2. To be arranged in a twist, spiral or whorl.
3. (figuratively, intransitive)To circulate.

   “Mr. Cameron had a respite Thursday from the negative chatter swirling around him when he appeared outside 10 Downing Street to denounce the murder a day before of a British soldier on a London street.”

   “Rumors began to swirl last week that Dion would once again be performing after posters with her various song titles began popping up around the French capital.”

4. (dated)To mingle interracially.

noun

1. A whirling eddy.

   “Winston Smith, his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind, slipped quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, though not quickly enough to prevent a swirl of gritty dust from entering along with him.”

2. A twist or coil of something.
3. The upward rushing of a fish through the water to take the bait.
4. (dated)Interracial mingling (e.g. dating, sex, marriage, etc.).

   “She told that white boy she wasn't down with the swirl and to take himself a hike.”

   “In truth, it was more to do with keeping up with the latest gossip on YouTube famous interracial ‘swirl’ couples and reality stars.”

5. Synonym of pinwheel (“food product with spiral layers”).

   “I'm baking some cheese swirls.”