ˈwhirly-obs. or dial.var. of whirl- in comb., as † whirly-bat, † whirly-pool, whirly-wind= whirlbat, -pool, -wind (cf.whirligig and whirlgig); also whirly-go-round (also whirligoround), a merry-go-round; † whirly-hole(seequot.); † whirly-rock, a spiral or turbinate fossil shell; whirly-whirly, (a) a dentist's drill (nonce-use); (b) Austral., a whirling air current or dust cloud.1725Bailey Erasm. Colloq. (1733) 42 The fighting with *Whirly-bats.1865Meredith Rhoda Fleming xliii, He was a faithful servant, till one day he got up on a regular *whirly-go-round, and ever since{ddd}such a little boy!1871― Harry Richmond xlvi, Like one who has been gazing on the whirligoround, he saw the whole of women running or..waiting..to run the giddy ring to perdition.1686Plot Staffordsh. 172 At Kinfare Towne,..there goes another hole into the rock,..call'd *whirleyhole, from the Eddy of water the River makes at the mouth of it.1727Bailey (Vol. II.), *Whirly-pool.1892Meredith Ode, To Comic Spirit 87 These..Would keep our life the whirly pool Of turbid stuff.1904Rickert Reaper xix, There's often whirly-pools in the sea.1681Grew Musæum iii. i. i. 265 A piece of *Whirly-Rock. Turbinites Saxum.1928A. P. Herbert Trials of Topsy xii. 73 He thrust the *whirly-whirly inch by inch into the very dome of a girl's head.1930V. Palmer Men are Human xiii. 112 A cool breeze..raised little whirly-whirlies of dust.1959Listener 15 Jan. 113/1 The dust whirls and capers into fantastic whirlie-whirlies.1972Southerly XXXII. 4 A small whirly-whirly swept down the verandah, lifting dust and lolly papers in a mini-spiral.14..Trevisa's Barth. De P.R. xi. iv. (Bodl. MS.), *Whirly winde and a raynye cloude.