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whirlwind
[ hwurl-wind, wurl- ]
noun
- Meteorology. a relatively small mass of air rotating rapidly around a more or less vertical axis and simultaneously advancing over land or sea: specific categories of whirlwind include dust devil, dust whirl, tornado, and waterspout:
The sails were carried up to the mastheads by the force of the whirlwind.
- anything resembling a whirlwind, as in violent action or destructive force:
a fiery whirlwind of shrapnel.
- someone or something characterized by great energy or swiftness, often with an atmosphere of chaos:
a staff of three do-nothings and one whirlwind; a whirlwind of activity at the stock exchange.
adjective
- like a whirlwind, as in speed or force:
a whirlwind visit to New York.
Synonyms: , , ,
verb (used without object)
- to move or travel quickly:
You can't just whirlwind in and out of their lives and expect them to be OK with that.
whirlwind
/ ˈɜːˌɪԻ /
noun
- a column of air whirling around and towards a more or less vertical axis of low pressure, which moves along the land or ocean surface
- a motion or course resembling this, esp in rapidity
- ( as modifier )
a whirlwind romance
- an impetuously active person
Word History and Origins
Origin of whirlwind1
Idioms and Phrases
- (sow the wind and) reap the whirlwind, to suffer the penalties for one's misdeeds. Hosea 8:7.
Example Sentences
After a whirlwind journey around the world, during which they were nabbed, rescued and quarantined, eight critically endangered Fijian iguanas have finally arrived at their new home at the San Diego Zoo.
Noah Wyle, the star and executive producer of Max’s hit medical drama, spoke with The Times about the whirlwind first season, which concluded Thursday.
The Times spoke with Wyle about the whirlwind first season, which concluded on Thursday.
That performance landed her an Emmy nomination, and the whirlwind has been in full swing ever since.
Like so much that has come out of the White House in the whirlwind first few weeks of his presidency, Wednesday's announcement has sown confusion – especially, in this case, in Africa.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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