eddy

¹ American  

[ed-ee] / ˈɛd i /

noun

plural

eddies

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

2. a small whirlpool.

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

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

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verb (used with or without object)

eddied, eddying

1. to move or whirl in eddies.

Eddy ² American  

[ed-ee] / ˈɛd i /

noun

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

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

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Eddy ¹ British  

/ ˈɛdɪ /

noun

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

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eddy ² British  

/ ˈɛdɪ /

noun

1. 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

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

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verb

1. to move or cause to move against the main current

eddy Scientific  

/ ĕd′ē /

1. 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.

2. See also vortex

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Other Word Forms

• uneddied adjective
• uneddying adjective

Etymology

Origin of eddy

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

Explanation

An eddy is a whirlpool — what you stare at as a kid when the water is draining out of the bathtub. Pronounced exactly like the name, “Eddie,” this word means to swirl in a direction opposite of the current. Any substance like water, fog, smoke, or air can create an eddy, but it is most commonly seen as a term related to water. Books from the "flapper" era of the 1920s often include a description of a nightclub with "an eddy of cigarette smoke above a woman’s head."

Example Sentences

They can’t recreate every wind puff and ocean eddy, so they divide the world into a 3-D grid and generate myriad variables for each box, from soil temperature to ocean salinity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

While that was soon to change, it meant that for books especially, 1996 was an eddy of calm before the meteor storm arrived.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2025

Temperature data from satellites and buoys revealed a large southbound eddy moving through the region, coupled with 4 days of strong easterly winds, fueled strong upwelling.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 15, 2024

The eddy covariance stations consist of instruments and techniques for calculating the flux of trace gases, like water vapor, coming off the land surface.

From Science Daily • Jan. 16, 2024

James was a great wave and Basil Davidson was a swirling eddy, tossing me about.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Related Words

• whirlpool