spinning jenny

noun

spinning jen·​ny -ˌje-nē How to pronounce spinning jenny (audio)
: an early multiple-spindle machine for spinning wool or cotton

Examples of spinning jenny in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The technology behind the industrial revolution -- the steam engine, the spinning jenny and the cotton engine, for example -- accelerated economic growth by an order of magnitude, creating an explosion of innovation that still reverberates around the planet. Discover Magazine, 29 Sep. 2023 Creative destruction reallocates society’s resources from less productive pursuits to more productive ones—from spinning jennies to factories, for example, or from horse-and-buggies to motorcars. Alan Greenspan, WSJ, 12 Oct. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spinning jenny.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Jenny, nickname for Jane

First Known Use

1783, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spinning jenny was in 1783

Dictionary Entries Near spinning jenny

Cite this Entry

“Spinning jenny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spinning%20jenny. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

spinning jenny

noun
spinning jen·​ny ˈspin-iŋ-ˌjen-ē How to pronounce spinning jenny (audio)
: an early machine for spinning wool or cotton by means of many spindles

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