maelstrom

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A situation of great confusion, turmoil, or violent activity.

   After the scandal broke, the politician was caught in a maelstrom of criticism.

2. 2
   noun

   A large, powerful whirlpool of swirling water.

   The boat was nearly pulled under by the swirling maelstrom.

The word was originally the name of a giant whirlpool off Norway in the Arctic Ocean which was said to destroy all ships that came close to it, likely the actual tidal pool system of Moskstraumen in Lofoten. It is borrowed from early modern Dutch maelstrom (“whirlpool”) (obsolete) (modern Dutch maalstroom), from malen (“to whirl around; to grind”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *melh₂- (“to crush, grind”)) + stroom (“stream; river; current or flow of water or other liquid”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *srew- (“to flow, stream”)), and was popularized by Edgar Allen Poe’s short st…

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