Whirlwind

How to spell whirlwind

9 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce whirlwind

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does whirlwind mean?

1. nounA column of air rotating rapidly around a low-pressure centre, often lifting dust or debris.
2. adjectiveHappening with great speed and intensity, leaving little time to pause.

Whirlwind in a sentence

• noun

  A sudden whirlwind scattered the leaves across the car park.

• adjective

  They enjoyed a whirlwind tour of five cities in seven days.

• noun

  The desert whirlwind lifted sand high into the afternoon sky.

• adjective

  The merger followed a whirlwind week of late-night negotiations.

Where does whirlwind come from?

Language of origin: Old Norse

Whirlwind is a compound of two old words for spinning and moving air. The first element, 'whirl', came into Middle English from Old Norse, where 'hvirfla' meant to turn or spin round; it is closely related to the Old Norse 'hvirfilvindr', a 'whirling wind', which scholars believe directly inspired the English form. The second element, 'wind', is a thoroughly native Germanic word, traceable to Old English 'wind' and ultimately to the same ancient root that gives Latin 'ventus' and the modern 'ventilate'. The two parts were welded together in the late 1300s to name a column of violently rotating air, and the figurative sense of any rushed, frenzied activity grew out of that image. The spelling trap is the silent feel of the middle 'l' and 'w' run together; remembering that it is simply 'whirl' plus 'wind' keeps the letters in order.

How the word is built

• whirl (to spin rapidly)
• wind (moving air)