whirlwind

C2 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ˈ(h)wɝlwɪnd/ UK /ˈwɜːlwɪnd/ See IPA manual

Freq #17588

Meanings

1

noun
A column of air spinning rapidly as it moves across the ground.

A sudden whirlwind scattered the dry leaves across the yard.
2

noun
A rush of intense, fast-moving events or activity.

The weeks before the wedding passed in a whirlwind of preparation.
3

adj
Happening very quickly and intensely.

They had a whirlwind romance and married within a month.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a rush of intense,... maelstrom vortex

Word family

Forms whirlwinds

Etymology

From Middle English whirlewind, whirlewynde, equivalent to whirl + wind. Compare Middle Dutch wervelwint, Old Norse hvirfilvindr.

whirlewind Middle English

View etymology graph ->

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# whirlwind

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun, adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈ(h)wɝlwɪnd/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈwɜːlwɪnd/
**Frequency rank:** 17588

## Meanings
1. A column of air spinning rapidly as it moves across the ground.
2. A rush of intense, fast-moving events or activity.
3. Happening very quickly and intensely.

## Examples
- A sudden whirlwind scattered the dry leaves across the yard.
- The weeks before the wedding passed in a whirlwind of preparation.
- They had a whirlwind romance and married within a month.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: whirlewind

## Etymology
From Middle English whirlewind, whirlewynde, equivalent to whirl + wind. Compare Middle Dutch wervelwint, Old Norse hvirfilvindr.

## AI Etymology
Whirlwind is from Middle English whirlewind, whirlewynde, equivalent to whirl + wind. Compare Middle Dutch wervelwint, Old Norse hvirfilvindr. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include whirlewind (Middle English). Current senses include a column of air spinning rapidly as it moves across the ground and a rush of intense, fast-moving events or activity.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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whirlwind

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