eddy

[ ed-ee ]

/ ˈɛd i /

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noun, plural ed·dies.

a current at variance with the main current in a stream of liquid or gas, especially one having a rotary or whirling motion.

a small whirlpool.

any similar current, as of air, dust, or fog.

a current or trend, as of opinion or events, running counter to the main current.

verb (used with or without object), ed·died, ed·dy·ing.

to move or whirl in eddies.

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of eddy

1425–75; late Middle English; Old English ed- turning + ēa water; akin to Old Norse itha

OTHER WORDS FROM eddy

un·ed·died, adjectiveun·ed·dy·ing, adjective

Other definitions for eddy (2 of 2)

Eddy

[ ed-ee ]

/ ˈɛd i /

noun

Mary (Morse) Baker Mrs. Glover; Mrs. Patterson, 1821–1910, U.S. founder of the Christian Science Church.

Also Eddie. a male given name, form of Edgar or Edward.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use eddy in a sentence

I depart as air ... I shake my locks at the runaway sun, I effuse my flesh in eddies and drift it in lacy jags.
A Eulogy for Marie Colvin|Katrina Heron|March 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Reality TV has seen its fair share of put-upon husbands—Steady Eddies anchoring erratic celebrity spouses.
The Anti Jon and Kate|Emili Vesilind|September 13, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The eddies beyond the breakwater were a light and delicate mauve and looked nervously alive.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
The wind that was sighing in the trees was whirling the dead leaves about in little eddies as they floated to earth.
Marguerite|Anatole France

The mind runs ever in a thousand eddies like a river between cliffs.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 25 (of 25)|Robert Louis Stevenson
See, Wharton, there is a man crossing in the very eddies of the cataract, and in a skiff no bigger than an egg-shell.
The Spy|J. Fenimore Cooper
Through the ravine runs a brook; the tiny pebbles at its bottom are all aquiver through its clear eddies.
Dream Tales and Prose Poems|Ivan Turgenev

British Dictionary definitions for eddy (1 of 2)

eddy

/ (ˈɛdɪ) /

noun plural -dies

a movement in a stream of air, water, or other fluid in which the current doubles back on itself causing a miniature whirlwind or whirlpool

a deviation from or disturbance in the main trend of thought, life, etc, esp one that is relatively unimportant

verb -dies, -dying or -died

to move or cause to move against the main current

Word Origin for eddy

C15: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse itha; related to Old English ed- again, back, Old High German it-

British Dictionary definitions for eddy (2 of 2)

Eddy

/ (ˈɛdɪ) /

noun

Mary Baker. 1821–1910, US religious leader; founder of the Christian Science movement (1866)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for eddy

eddy

[ ĕd′ē ]

A current, as of water or air, moving in a direction that is different from that of the main current. Eddies generally involve circular motion; unstable patterns of eddies are often called turbulence. See also vortex.

eddy

Origin of eddy

OTHER WORDS FROM eddy

Other definitions for eddy (2 of 2)

Words related to eddy

How to use eddy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for eddy (1 of 2)

Word Origin for eddy

British Dictionary definitions for eddy (2 of 2)

Scientific definitions for eddy