Obs. or dial. Forms: 4–8 whirlebone, 5 whirle-, wherle-, whyrlebon, wherl-, werel-, qwhirl-, qworle-, qvyrlebone, 5–6 whyrl-, whorlebone, 5–7 whyrlebone, 6 whurle bone, (7 whall-bone), 8 hurle bone, dial. whirly booan, 9 Sc. whorle-bane, 6– whirlbone. (Also with hyphen, or as two words.) [Replacing OE. hweorf-, hwyrfbán, hwe(o)rbán knee-cap, by substitution of WHIRL for the first element; cf. MLG. wervel(bên), G. wirbelbein vertebra.]
1. The round head of a bone turning in the socket of another bone; spec. that of the thigh-bone at the hip-joint (in later use esp. in the horse).
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. xxvii. (Bodl. MS.). Þei [sc. bones of the arms] beþ ykeuered with ioyntes whirlebones and grustel bones. [Mistranslation; ed. 1582 They are covered in joynts and whirlbones with gristles; L. in iuncturis et vertebris cartillagine vestiuntur.]
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 421/1. Qvyrlylebone, yn a ioynt, ancha. Ibid., 524/2. Whyrlebone, or hole of a ioynt (S. whylbone), anca, vertebrum, vertibulum, condulus.
1548–77. Vicary, Anat., ix. (1888), 75. Ech of these two bones … hath a great rounde hole, into the whiche is receyued the bone called Vertebra, or The whorle bone. Ibid., x. 84. Vertebrum, or Whurle bone,… and is receyued into the boxe or hole of the hanche bone.
1685. Lond. Gaz., No. 2046/4. A Black brown Gelding … a Strain in his Whirlebone.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., Hurle Bone, in an Horse, is a Bone near the Middle of the Buttock; very apt to go out of its Sockets with a Slip or Strain.
1753. J. Bartlet, Gentl. Farriery, xxix. (1754), 240. A lameness in the whirle bone and hip, is discovered by the horse’s dragging his leg after him.
1814. J. White, Vet. Med. (ed. 2), III. 192. Injury of the Hip Joint, commonly called Whirl, or Hurdle Bone, or Round Bone.
1825. Jamieson, Whorle-bane, the hip-bone or joint, Fife.
2. The round bone of the knee; the knee-pan, patella.
14[?]. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 590/19. Internodium,… the knepanne, or wherlebon.
1530. Palsgr., 288/1. Whyrlbone of ones kne, pallette de genouil.
1587. Harrison, England, I. v. 11, in Holinshed. When the bodie of Aiax was found, the whirlebone of his knee was adiudged so broad as a pretie dish.
1611. Cotgr., La charniere des genoux, the whall-bone, or whirle-bone, of the knees.
1634. T. Johnson, trans. Parey’s Chirurg., XV. xxii. (1678), 340. The Patella, or Whirl-bone of the Knee … is oft-times contused.
c. 1746. J. Collier (Tim Bobbin), View Lanc. Dial., Wks. (1862), 52. He geete fro his Whirly booans, and sed … while his Heart beeots an his Blood sarclates there’s Hopes.
1828. Craven Gloss., Whirl-baan, the cap of the knee.
† 3. A vertebra of the spine. Obs.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 3 Cap. vj. of woundis of þe rigboon & of whirlebones [v.r. whirele bonys] of þe rigge. Ibid., 104. Make smale cauteries … bitwene ech whirlebon of þe necke.
1668. Culpepper & Cole, Barthol. Anat., Man. IV. xiv. 349. Five Vertebræ or Whirle-bones of the Spina.
