the rotation of a wheel when it is not achieving any grip or traction on a surface
I accelerated very gently, trying to find optimum traction and avoid wheelspin.
The thing just zooms cleanly away: no wheelspin, no tugging on the steering wheel.
wheelspin in American English
(ˈhwilˌspɪn, ˈwil-)
noun
the spinning of a wheel, esp. that of a drive wheel of a powered vehicle that has poor traction
Word origin
[1925–30; wheel + spin]This word is first recorded in the period 1925–30. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Nazi, buildup, chain reaction, decibel, off-line
Examples of 'wheelspin' in a sentence
wheelspin
The views are worth every wheelspin, though, with majestic mountains either side.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Suddenly, you cross a river which gives you wheelspin.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Think smoky skids, drifts and copious amounts of wheelspin, then.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
And then there was a lot of wheelspin.
The Sun (2016)
Obviously you'd expect wheelspin in first gear in a car such as this.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
You'll even coax a bit of wheelspin out of it, if that's your bag.
The Sun (2016)
It inhibits wheelspin depending on which of the eight settings you've selected.
The Sun (2009)
This instantly changes the bike's power delivery and level of wheelspin-reducing traction control.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Wheelspin and slow getaways could mix it up nicely.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
By staying in fourth or fifth gears to prevent wheelspin, the ride actually became quite enjoyable.