dust devil

American  

[duhst dev-uhl] / ˈdʌst ˌdɛv əl /

noun

Meteorology.

1. a well-developed dust whirl with a diameter of about 10–100 feet (3–30 meters), rotating either clockwise or counterclockwise, common in dry regions on hot, calm afternoons and made visible by the dust, debris, and sand it picks up from the ground: dust devils on average are about 660 feet (200 meters) tall, but some have exceeded a height of 3,280 feet (1 kilometer).

   We noticed the base of the dust devil following a direct path along the ground, but its uppermost portion was meandering wildly.

---

dust devil British  

noun

1. a strong miniature whirlwind that whips up dust, litter, leaves, etc into the air

---

Etymology

Origin of dust devil

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Mars is constantly swept by winds that lift fine dust into spinning whirlwinds known as dust devils.

From Science Daily

They found that electrical discharges were normally associated with dust devils and dust storm fronts.

From BBC

The researchers plan to further intensify the observations of dust devils and supplement the data obtained with targeted and coordinated observations of dust devils using CaSSIS and HRSC.

From Science Daily

Magistrate Robert Webster agreed with the defence and found that the incident happened due to a dust devil - an upward spiralling vortex of air and debris - that was "unforeseen and unforeseeable".

From BBC

Unlike tornadoes, dust devils grow upwards from the ground rather than down from clouds, and they last for only a few minutes.

From BBC

Related Words

• sandstorm