vortex

American  

[vawr-teks] / ˈvɔr tɛks /

noun

plural

vortices, vortexes

1. a whirling mass of water, especially one in which a force of suction operates, as a whirlpool.

2. a whirling mass of air, especially one in the form of a visible column or spiral, as a tornado.

3. a whirling mass of fire, flame, etc.

4. a state of affairs likened to a whirlpool for violent activity, irresistible force, etc.

5. something regarded as drawing into its powerful current everything that surrounds it.

   the vortex of war.

6. (in Cartesian philosophy) a rapid rotatory movement of cosmic matter about a center, regarded as accounting for the origin or phenomena of bodies or systems of bodies in space.

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vortex British  

/ ˈvɔːtɛks /

noun

1. a whirling mass or rotary motion in a liquid, gas, flame, etc, such as the spiralling movement of water around a whirlpool

2. any activity, situation, or way of life regarded as irresistibly engulfing

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vortex Scientific  

/ vôr′tĕks′ /

plural

vortexes

1. A circular, spiral, or helical motion in a fluid (such as a gas) or the fluid in such a motion. A vortex often forms around areas of low pressure and attracts the fluid (and the objects moving within it) toward its center. Tornados are examples of vortexes; vortexes that form around flying objects are a source of turbulence and drag.

2. See also eddy

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Other Word Forms

• vortical adjective
• vortically adverb

Etymology

Origin of vortex

First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin, variant of vertex vertex

Example Sentences

Her drawings, which come in sets of two or three near-identical shapes, have "a beautiful intricacy to them" and "look like swirling vortexes", he said.

From BBC

In turn, this coupling allows the PQ superfluid vortex to pump electric charge into the B-L flux tube and oppose the tension that would normally cause the loop to shrink and snap.

From Science Daily

"A weaker-than-normal polar vortex this past August helped keep temperatures above average and likely contributed to a smaller ozone hole," said Ciasto.

From Science Daily

Another goal is to decrease the use of hazardous chemicals and reduce the size and energy demand of hardware by applying advanced predictive technologies for high-power vortices.

From Science Daily

Instead of relying on magnetic or electric polarization states, these materials contain vortices of electric dipoles.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• dust devil
• tornado
• tourbillion
• whirlwind