birling vs whirl

birling and whirl both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
birling	Yes	No	No	No
whirl	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, whirl is a hypernym of birling; that is, whirl is a word with a broader meaning than birling:

Other hypernyms of birling include spin, twirl, twist, twisting.

birling (noun)	whirl (noun)
rotating a log rapidly in the water (as a competitive sport)	a usually brief attempt
	the act of rotating rapidly
	confused movement
	the shape of something rotating rapidly

birling (verb)	whirl (verb)
	flow in a circular current, of liquids
	turn in a twisting or spinning motion
	cause to spin
	fly around
	revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis