Whirlwind
/ˈwɜːrl.wɪnd/noun
A rapidly rotating column of air, or something that moves or happens with great speed and force.
Did you know?The word is a straightforward Germanic compound, but in older English and folklore, violent whirling winds were often treated as eerie, almost supernatural signs of power in the air.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wer-
“to turn, bend, or twist”
Proto-Germanic
Germanic
*hwirlaną
“to whirl, spin”
Old English
English
hwyrflwind
“whirling wind”
Middle English
English
whirlwinde
“a spinning, violent wind”
Modern English
English
whirlwind
“a rapidly rotating column of air; figuratively, something fast and turbulent”