Spun
/spʌn/
verbB2past tense, past participle
Definition
Spun means that something has turned around quickly or was twisted. It is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'spin.' People can spin objects like a top or spin ideas by telling stories or creating new versions of information.
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See It in Action
To turn quickly around a center point
- •The dancer spun gracefully on her toes.
- •The wheels spun as the car moved forward.
- •The child spun the toy top until it stopped.
To create or tell a story or idea
- •He spun a funny story about his adventure.
- •The journalist spun the news to make it more exciting.
- •She spun a tale that kept everyone interested.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'spun' like 'turned' (A1 word), but faster and often in a circle
- ✓Picture a top spinning on a table, moving round and round quickly
- ✓It's the feeling when you get dizzy because you spun around too fast
- ✓Sounds like 'spun' → imagine a fun spinning wheel that makes colors blur together
- ✓Think of a storyteller who 'spun' a tale, meaning they created a new story from ideas
- ✓NOT like 'turn' (which can be slow or just change direction), 'spin' is fast and circular movement
- ✓NOT like 'twist' (which bends), 'spin' is a smooth round movement
- ✓In stories, 'spun' means to create or tell a story, often making it interesting or imaginative
Try Other Words
- •Twirled: meaning to spin quickly, often with style (Use when you want to show a graceful or playful spin)
- •Rotated: meaning to turn around a center point (Use in technical or formal contexts)
- •Whirled: meaning to spin fast and sometimes wildly (Use when the spinning is fast and maybe uncontrolled)
- •Told: meaning to say or narrate a story (Use when focusing on the act of telling rather than the creative or imaginative aspect)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: spin (root verb) + -n (past tense/past participle irregular form)
- •Etymology: From Old English 'spinnan,' meaning to draw out thread by twisting or to turn
- •Historical development: Originally used for twisting thread or yarn, later extended to any quick circular movement and storytelling
- •Modern usage: Used both for physical spinning and for describing the act of creating or presenting stories or information in a particular way
- •Interesting fact: 'Spin' also appears in phrases like 'spin doctor,' meaning someone who changes the story to make it look better
Reflect & Connect
•How does the meaning of 'spun' change when used for physical movement versus telling a story?
•Can you think of a time when someone 'spun' a story to make it more interesting? Why do people do this?
Fill in the blanks
1.The dancer spun ___ around so fast that the audience felt ___ dizzy.
2.When he spun the story, he added ___ details to make it more exciting.
3.The wheels spun ___ as the car started moving on the wet road.
4.Unlike 'turned,' spun usually means a ___ and circular motion.
5.She spun the yarn by twisting it ___ her fingers carefully.
6.The politician spun the news ___ to make the situation look better.
7.After he spun ___ several times, he felt a little ___ and sat down.