Questions about example sentences with, and the definition and usage of "Whirr"

A: To whir away is when (typically) a machine continuously performs a task, usually at a high rate of speed, with little or no supervision or interaction. There is a literal aspect to this, as a whir is a high-pitched kind of hum, which many machines produce. The phrase can also refer to a person or people, operating in the same kind of manner, albeit without the literal noise.