- another name for Catherine wheel
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
pin•wheel•ing
(pin′hwē′ling, -wē′-),USA pronunciation n. [U.S. Naut.]
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- Nautical, Naval Termsthe act of turning a multiple-screw ship within a minimum radius by having some engines going forward and others going in reverse.
- pinwheel + -ing1
pin•wheel /ˈpɪnˌhwil, -ˌwil/USA pronunciation
n.
v. [no object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- [countable]
- Gamesa toy consisting of a small wheel with paper or plastic vanes attached by a pin to a stick, designed to spin when blown.
v. [no object]
- to revolve rapidly like a pinwheel.
pin•wheel
(pin′hwēl′, -wēl′),USA pronunciation n.
v.i.
- a child's toy consisting of a wheel or leaflike curls of paper or plastic loosely attached by a pin to a stick, designed to revolve when blown by or as by the wind.
- Also called catherine wheel. a kind of firework supported on a pin which, when ignited, revolves rapidly and gives a dazzling display of light.
- Mechanical Engineeringa wheel having pins at right angles to its rim for engaging the teeth of a gear.
v.i.
- to revolve rapidly like a pinwheel:Images of the past pinwheeled through his mind.
- pin + wheel 1695–1705
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
pinwheel /ˈpɪnˌwiːl/ n