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.

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dust devil British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of dust devil

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Of the 84 minutes collected in its first year, there’s “only one dust devil recording,” she wrote in an email from France.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 13, 2022

Sound returns for another couple of seconds as the trailing wall of the dust devil spins over the rover again.

From Washington Post • Dec. 13, 2022

There is a tiny chance that a dust devil might blow off the dust covering InSight’s solar panels and prolong the mission’s life.

From Scientific American • Oct. 28, 2022

A dust devil has been spotted in a field following a wildfire in County Durham.

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2022

The dust devil passes as quickly as it came.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

Related Words

• sandstorm