birl: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2 (Rare/Technical/Regional)Informal (Scottish/North American), Technical (lumberjack sport)
Quick answer
What does “birl” mean?
To cause (a floating log) to spin rapidly by treading on it.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To cause (a floating log) to spin rapidly by treading on it; to spin or rotate rapidly.
In Scottish/Scots usage, it can mean to whirl or spin, to have a lively drinking session, or (verb) to pour (a drink). In North American lumberjack contexts, it refers to the competitive sport of logrolling.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, it is almost exclusively a Scottish dialect word meaning 'to spin' or 'to have a drinking bout'. In American English, it is primarily associated with the lumberjack activity of logrolling.
Connotations
British/Scottish: Informal, regional, convivial. American: Technical, sportive, associated with lumberjack traditions.
Frequency
Very rare in general English. Recognised primarily in Scotland and in contexts discussing lumberjack sports in North America.
Grammar
How to Use “birl” in a Sentence
[Someone] birls [something] (e.g., a log).[Something] birls (intransitive).Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “birl” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He'd birl a coin on the table for luck.
- They went out to birl the night away.
American English
- The champion can birl a log for over a minute without falling.
- Watch her birl that timber!
adjective
British English
- The birling coin was mesmerising.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Potentially in historical/linguistic studies of Scots or studies of North American folk traditions.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday international English.
Technical
Used in the technical vocabulary of competitive logrolling.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “birl”
- Using it as a general synonym for 'spin' in international contexts.
- Pronouncing it as 'by-rul' or to rhyme with 'girl'.
- Confusing it with 'burly'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a rare word. It is a technical term in logrolling sports and a regional (Scottish/Scots) dialect word.
Very rarely. In logrolling, a 'birl' might refer to a single spinning motion, but the verb form is vastly more common.
'Birl' focuses on the action of spinning the log itself. 'Logroll' is the broader term for the competitive sport or activity of staying atop a rolling log.
It's informal Scots. You might say, 'The dancer birled across the floor,' or, 'They sat birling whisky all evening,' meaning spinning or drinking convivially.
To cause (a floating log) to spin rapidly by treading on it.
Birl is usually informal (scottish/north american), technical (lumberjack sport) in register.
Birl: in British English it is pronounced /bɜːl/, and in American English it is pronounced /bɜːrl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To birl the bottle (Scots): to pass a bottle around for drinking.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
A lumberjack gives a LOG a WHIRL to BIRL.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMPETITION IS A ROTATING LOG (for the logrolling sense).
Practice
Quiz
In which regional dialect does 'birl' also mean to have a lively drinking session?