A whorl (/wɜːrl/ or /wɔːrl/) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs).^[1][2]

In nature

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  Botanical whorls: sepals, petals, leaves, or branches radiating from a single point (photo of flower of Friesodielsia desmoides, family Annonaceae, juxtaposed with diagram of axial cross-section)
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  Mollusc whorls: Each complete 360° turn in the spiral growth of the shell of the mollusc Anisus septemgyratus, family Planorbidae.
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  A hair whorl is a patch of hair growing in a circular direction around a visible center point.
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  In a fingerprint, a whorl is each ridge arranged circularly around a central point on the finger.
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  In histopathologic architecture, a whorled pattern consists of multiple concentric objects, or a spiral-shaped pattern. Bone tissue is shown.

For mollusc whorls, the body whorl in a mollusc shell is the most recently formed whorl of a spiral shell, terminating in the aperture.

Artificial objects

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  A spindle whorl is a disc or spherical object fitted onto the spindle to increase and maintain the speed of the spin.