Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Spun \Spun\,
imp. & p. p. of {Spin}.
{Spun hay}, hay twisted into ropes for convenient carriage,
as on a military expedition.
{Spun silk}, a cheap article produced from floss, or
short-fibered, broken, and waste silk, carded and spun, in
distinction from the long filaments wound from the cocoon.
It is often mixed with cotton.
{Spun yarn} (Naut.), a line formed of two or more rope-yarns
loosely twisted.
Spin \Spin\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Spun}(Archaic imp. {Span}); p.
pr. & vb. n. {Spinning}.] [AS. spinnan; akin to D. & G.
spinnen, Icel. & Sw. spinna, Dan. spinde, Goth. spinnan, and
probably to E. span. [root]170. Cf. {Span}, v. t., {Spider}.]
1. To draw out, and twist into threads, either by the hand or
machinery; as, to spin wool, cotton, or flax; to spin
goat's hair; to produce by drawing out and twisting a
fibrous material.
All the yarn she [Penelope] spun in Ulysses' absence
did but fill Ithaca full of moths. --Shak.
2. To draw out tediously; to form by a slow process, or by
degrees; to extend to a great length; -- with out; as, to
spin out large volumes on a subject.
Do you mean that story is tediously spun out?
--Sheridan.
3. To protract; to spend by delays; as, to spin out the day
in idleness.
By one delay after another they spin out their whole
lives. --L'Estrange.
4. To cause to turn round rapidly; to whirl; to twirl; as, to
spin a top.
5. To form (a web, a cocoon, silk, or the like) from threads
produced by the extrusion of a viscid, transparent liquid,
which hardens on coming into contact with the air; -- said
of the spider, the silkworm, etc.
6. (Mech.) To shape, as malleable sheet metal, into a hollow
form, by bending or buckling it by pressing against it
with a smooth hand tool or roller while the metal
revolves, as in a lathe.
{To spin a yarn} (Naut.), to tell a story, esp. a long or
fabulous tale.
{To spin hay} (Mil.), to twist it into ropes for convenient
carriage on an expedition.
{To spin street yarn}, to gad about gossiping. [Collog.]
Source : WordNet®
spin
n 1: a swift whirling motion (usually of a missile)
2: the act of rotating rapidly; "he gave the crank a spin"; "it
broke off after much twisting" [syn: {twirl}, {twist}, {twisting},
{whirl}]
3: a short drive in a car; "he took the new car for a spin"
4: rapid descent of an aircraft in a steep spiral [syn: {tailspin}]
5: a distinctive interpretation (especially as used by
politicians to sway public opinion); "the campaign put a
favorable spin on the story"
[also: {spun}, {spinning}]
spin
v 1: revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis; "The
dervishes whirl around and around without getting dizzy"
[syn: {spin around}, {whirl}, {reel}, {gyrate}]
2: stream in jets, of liquids; "The creek spun its course
through the woods"
3: cause to spin; "spin a coin" [syn: {whirl}, {birl}, {twirl}]
4: make up a story; "spin a yarn"
5: form a web by making a thread; "spiders spin a fine web"
6: work natural fibers into a thread; "spin silk"
7: twist and turn so as to give an intended interpretation;
"The President's spokesmen had to spin the story to make
it less embarrasing"
8: prolong or extend; "spin out a visit" [syn: {spin out}]
[also: {spun}, {spinning}]
spun
See {spin}