spinner

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

n. a small plastic arrow on a board that you spin to see how many spaces you move in a game.

n. a device used in board games consisting of a rotating pointer on a fixed dial to determine a random outcome.

“It is your turn to flick the spinner and see if you get a six.”

“The children argued over the results because the spinner had stopped exactly on the line between two different colors.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Sports

n. a player in cricket who makes the ball spin when they throw it to make it hard to hit.

n. a spin bowler who uses finger or wrist action to impart rotation on the ball, causing it to change direction upon bouncing.

“The captain brought on a spinner to slow down the scoring rate.”

“The legendary spinner bamboozled the batsman with a delivery that turned sharply away from the off-stump.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Politics Informal

n. someone whose job is to make a politician or a story look good to the public.

n. a person, such as a press agent, who provides a favorable interpretation of events to the media; a spin doctor.

“The government's top spinner tried to explain away the bad news.”

“Political spinners worked through the night to ensure the candidate's controversial remarks were framed as a misunderstanding by the press.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Computing Technical

n. a small box on a computer screen where you click arrows to change a number up or down.

n. a graphical user interface widget that allows users to adjust a numeric value by clicking up or down arrows.

“Use the spinner to select how many copies of the document you want to print.”

“The developer replaced the text input with a spinner to prevent users from entering invalid non-numeric characters into the age field.”

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Informal

n. a small toy that you hold in your hand and spin for fun or to help you focus.

n. a short form of 'fidget spinner'; a handheld toy with a central bearing that allows it to rotate rapidly.

“The teacher asked the student to put his spinner away during the lesson.”

“While the craze for spinners has largely faded, many people still find them useful for managing anxiety during long meetings.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Slang · Dialect

n. someone who acts in a very strange or crazy way.

n. a person perceived as mentally unstable, eccentric, or highly erratic.

“Don't mind him, he's a bit of a spinner but he's harmless.”

“The locals regarded the old hermit as a total spinner, though he was actually quite brilliant in his own way.”