Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

twirly

/ˈtwɜː.liː/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.71 in modern English

Syllables: twirly
IPA: /ˈtwɜː.liː/

12

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

1

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Coiled or curly.

noun

An old age pensioner or other elderly person, especially one using public transport.

British usage; Derogatory; Slang

Example Sentences

"Some passengers do try to use passes fraudulently and the time restriction on OAP passes can sometimes lead to arguments (the so-called "twirlies" — "Am I too early?") but seldom to assaults."
"These are a great hit with "Twirlies" (senior citizens, infamous for using their bus passes "too-early" before rush hour fades)."
"I once had a twirly get on my bus, well I have had several hundred actually but that's beside the point!"
"He'd been so desperate to go to the toilet that he'd parked the bus, locked the twirlies on it and run through the gully home!"

Etymology

From twirl + -y.

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˈtwɜː.liː/

Usage

Inflected Forms

twirlier (comparative) twirliest (superlative) twirlies (plural)

Synonyms

coffin dodger geriatric senior citizen

Questions

How do you pronounce twirly?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈtwɜː.liː/.
What does twirly mean?: Coiled or curly.
Where does twirly come from?: From twirl + -y.

How to pronounce twirly

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “twirly”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈtwɜː.liː/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “twirly”.
Repeat and practice — Say “twirly” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.