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tournoyer

to whirl

verb toor-nwah-YEH Rare
Body & Health Movement

Also means

to swirl

Usage Note

Tournoyer describes a continuous spinning or swirling motion—leaves in the wind, a dancer, or a hawk circling overhead. It belongs to the '-oyer' verb group, which requires a spelling change: je tournoie (not je tournoye). The related noun is tournoi ('tournament'), though the two words have distinct modern meanings.

Examples

"Les feuilles mortes tournoient dans le vent."

Natural Translation

The dead leaves swirl in the wind.

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