whirlwind
noun
- weather phenomenon
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈwɜːlwɪnd/ / /ˈ(h)wɝlwɪnd/
adj
Etymology: From Middle English whirlewind, whirlewynde, equivalent to whirl + wind. Compare Middle Dutch wervelwint, Old Norse hvirfilvindr.
- Rapid and minimal.
“a whirlwind tour, a whirlwind romance”
“So you aren't deserting the Caversham ship. They'll understand. After all, their courtship was pretty whirlwind itself.”
noun
Etymology: From Middle English whirlewind, whirlewynde, equivalent to whirl + wind. Compare Middle Dutch wervelwint, Old Norse hvirfilvindr.
- A windstorm of limited extent, such as a tornado, dust devil, or waterspout, characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air with an upward current in the center; a vortex of air.
“VVhile in the mean time there iſſued out on the Eaſt-ſide a ſtrong VVind, but pure and refreſhing, vvhich dividing into ſeveral parts that turned round became ſo many innocuous VVhirl-vvinds of ſincere Air, tinctured only vvith a cool refreſhing ſmell, as if it had paſſed over ſome large field of Lilies and Roſes.”
“And his hoofs ground the rocks to fire and dust, / His strong sides made the torrents rise in spray, / And turbulence, as if a whirlwind’s gust / Surrounded us; […]”
- A person or body of objects or events sweeping violently onward.
“Once he got that new scooter he turned into a whirlwind and damaged all the flowers.”
“The weeks leading up to the convention were a whirlwind of preparation and hurried activity.”