Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Twirl \Twirl\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Twirled}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Twirling}.] [Cf. AS. [thorn]wiril a churn staff, a stirrer,
   flail, [thorn]weran, [=a][thorn]weran, to agitate, twirl, G.
   zwirlen, quirlen, to twirl, to turn round or about, quirl a
   twirling stick, OHG. dweran to twirl, stir. Cf. {Trowel}.]
   To move or turn round rapidly; to whirl round; to move and
   turn rapidly with the fingers.

         See ruddy maids, Some taught with dexterous hand to
         twirl the wheel.                         --Dodsley.

         No more beneath soft eve's consenting star Fandango
         twirls his jocund castanet.              --Byron.

Twirl \Twirl\, v. i.
   To revolve with velocity; to be whirled round rapidly.

Twirl \Twirl\, n.
   1. The act of twirling; a rapid circular motion; a whirl or
      whirling; quick rotation.

   2. A twist; a convolution. --Woodward.

Source : WordNet®

twirl
     n 1: a sharp bend in a line produced when a line having a loop is
          pulled tight [syn: {kink}, {twist}]
     2: the act of rotating rapidly; "he gave the crank a spin"; "it
        broke off after much twisting" [syn: {spin}, {twist}, {twisting},
         {whirl}]
     v 1: turn in a twisting or spinning motion; "The leaves swirled
          in the autumn wind" [syn: {swirl}, {twiddle}, {whirl}]
     2: cause to spin; "spin a coin" [syn: {whirl}, {birl}, {spin}]