whirlpool

[ hwurl-pool, wurl- ]

noun

1. water in swift, circular motion, as that produced by the meeting of opposing currents, often causing a downward spiraling action.
2. whirlpool bath.
3. Heraldry. gurge ( def 2 ).

whirlpool

/ ˈwɜːlˌpuːl /

noun

1. a powerful circular current or vortex of water, usually produced by conflicting tidal currents or by eddying at the foot of a waterfall
2. something resembling a whirlpool in motion or the power to attract into its vortex
3. See whirlpool bath
   short for whirlpool bath

whirlpool

/ wûrl′po̅o̅l′ /

1. A rapidly rotating current of water or other liquid that sucks everything near it toward its center. The meeting of two tides can create a whirlpool.

Word History and Origins

Origin of whirlpool¹

1520–30; whirl + pool ¹; compare late Old English hwyrfepōl

Example Sentences

Electrons are difficult to observe, but physicists thought that rotating a Bose-Einstein condensate in a whirlpool could make atoms behave the same way.

From Popular-Science

Tides are global forces, but they also feature local and regional improvisations—eddies, whirlpools, vortices, maelstroms—their cosmic regularity perturbed by wind and weather conditions, as well as by local topography.

From Nautilus

The front plunged through the far side of the whirlpool, and Johnson was submerged up to his neck.

From Outside Online

In a whirlpool tub, the pump sends the debris into the tub itself.

From Washington Post

To minimize this problem, Jacuzzi, the brand that came out with the first whirlpool tub, in 1968, now has a feature called Auto-Dri, which blows remaining air out of the system after the tub drains.

From Washington Post

The shock plunges you into a whirlpool of fear, denial and feverish action.

From The Daily Beast

The new wrinkle is that the river of time may whirlpool and even fork.

From The Daily Beast

The wild frontier life had drawn him in and under, as in a whirlpool; but he was New Englander yet at heart.

From Project Gutenberg

The money was sucked into the whirlpool; there was a speedy cry for more; and more was got and sacrificed.

From Project Gutenberg

Thereafter we were buffeted like chips in the swirling maw of a whirlpool; we fought our way rod by rod.

From Project Gutenberg

He had now come to the verge of the whirlpool of destruction, and, in a frenzied moment, he threw himself into the awful vortex!

From Project Gutenberg

He begins to edge in, and starts grinding his camera frantically as he is lifted into the whirlpool of humanity.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• eddy
• maelstrom
• vortex