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

What it needs is a direct hit by a dust devil, because such vortices are capable of cleaning solar panels.

From Washington Post • Dec. 13, 2022

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

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2022

“Maybe we’ll get a nice thick dust devil and we’ll have enough power to keep going for a while,” Daubar says.

From Scientific American • May 24, 2022

The InSight team anticipated this much dust buildup, but hoped a gust wind of wind or dust devil might clean off the solar panels.

From Seattle Times • May 17, 2022

The little dust devil flattened into a trail.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

Related Words

• sandstorm