What does spinner mean?
A spinner is a rotating device, component, or person. Its most familiar use is probably the drum-like part of a washing machine, where clothing is held and turned during the spin cycle. Spinners also occur in other machines and appliances, and in aircraft, where the term can mean the streamlined housing around the central hub of a propeller. More broadly, a spinner is someone who spins, such as a figure skater or a cyclist. In fishing, a spinner is a small lure with a rotating blade or metal piece that catches light and creates movement in the water. The word is therefore versatile: it can describe a mechanism, a performer, or a component whose purpose is rotation. In general use, it often conveys rapid or continuous turning, while technical uses identify a specific part within a larger mechanism.
nounA device or component that rotates, especially one used to spin thread, control a machine, or provide motion. The term can also refer to a person who spins, as in a skater or cyclist, and to the rotating hub assembly of an aircraft propeller.
- A rotating device or component, especially in a washing machine, appliance, or similar mechanism.
- A person who spins, such as a figure skater, cyclist, or dancer.
- The rotating hub or streamlined housing at the center of an aircraft propeller.
- A small rotating component or lure, especially one used in fishing.
"The washing machine stopped working because its spinner became clogged."
"She spun the dial and watched the spinner settle on a red number."
"The aircraft's propeller spinner covers the hub where the blades meet."
The plural is formed by adding -s and is used for multiple rotating devices, people, or components.
"The factory tested several spinners under different operating conditions."
From washing clothes to aircraft propellers, the spinner is the part that keeps the motion turning.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does spinner come from?
The word derives from the English verb spin, which comes from Old English spinnan, meaning to turn or revolve. The suffix -er forms an agent or tool noun, so a spinner was originally something that performs or enables spinning. The same root underlies related forms such as spinning and spun, while the sense for a propeller's central housing developed through the language of aviation and mechanical engineering.
Related word forms
How spinner is actually used
The word is most often technical or appliance-related, but it is also used informally for someone who spins, particularly in sports descriptions. In aircraft terminology, it refers specifically to the central propeller assembly rather than the whole propeller.