whirlpool

See also: Whirlpool

English

WOTD – 25 November 2015

Etymology

From earlier whirlpoole, whirlpole, apparently from Middle English *whirlpole, potentially coalescing Old English hwierfel (“whirlpool”) and Old English hwierfepōl (“whirlpool”). Equivalent to whirl +‎ pool. Cognate with Scots quhirlepole, whirle-pule (“whirlpool”). Compare also English whirlpit.

Eclipsed non-native Middle English gurges (“whirlpool”), borrowed from Latin gurges (“whirlpool”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈwɝlpul/, /ˈhwɝlpul/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈwɜːlpuːl/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: whirl‧pool

Noun

whirlpool (plural whirlpools)

1. A swirling body of water.

   A whirlpool is an instance of a vortex produced by ocean tides, or by a hole underneath where the water would drain out, such as in a bathtub.

2. A hot tub, jacuzzi.
   • 1995, Orange Coast Magazine, volume 21, number 6, page 56:

     The meatloaf has been cooking in the oven for the last hour and should be ready just about the time George climbs out of the whirlpool.

3. A state of turmoil, or agitated excitement.

Derived terms

• whirlpool galaxy

Translations

swirling body of water

• Albanian: vorbull (sq), shtjellë (sq), gjeratore (sq)
• Arabic: دَوَّامَة f (dawwāma)

  Egyptian Arabic: غمر m (ḡamr)

• Armenian: ջրապտույտ (hy) (ǰraptuyt), հորձանուտ (hy) (horjanut)
• Aromanian: viro m, vãltoari f
• Belarusian: вір m (vir)
• Bulgarian: водовъртеж (bg) m (vodovǎrtež)
• Catalan: remolí (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 渦流／涡流 (zh) (wōliú), 渦／涡 (zh) (wō)

• Cornish: trobol m
• Czech: vír (cs) m
• Danish: strømhvirvel c
• Dutch: draaikolk (nl)
• Esperanto: akvokirlo, akvoturno
• Finnish: pyörre (fi), vesipyörre, kurimus (fi)
• French: tourbillon (fr) m
• Galician: remuíño (gl) m, rolleiro m
• Georgian: მორევი (morevi)
• German: Wirbel (de) m, Strudel (de) m, Stromschnelle (de) f (of a river)
• Greek: δίνη (el) f (díni)

  Ancient: δίνη f (dínē), ἶλιγξ f (îlinx)

• Hebrew: מְעַרְבֹּלֶת (he) f (ma'arbólet)
• Hindi: जलघुमर (hi) m (jalghumar)
• Hungarian: örvény (hu)
• Ido: aquovortico (io)
• Italian: vortice (it) m, mulinello (it) m, gorgo (it) m
• Japanese: 渦 (ja) (うず, uzu)
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Latin: gurges m, vortex m, vertex m, Charybdis m
• Macedonian: вител m (vitel), вртеж m (vrtež), вир m (vir), водовртеж m (vodovrtež)
• Maltese: milgħuba f
• Maori: toiremi, kōmingomingo, kororipo, kōmingomingo, ripo, riporipo, kōripo, toiremi, auripo, āwhiowhio, au, ririno
• Norwegian: strømvirvel
• Persian: گرداب (fa) (gerdâb), ورطه (fa) (varte)
• Plautdietsch: Wirbelstroom m
• Polish: wir wodny m
• Portuguese: redemoinho (pt) m, remoinho (pt) m, rodamoinho m, turbilhão (pt) f, vórtice (pt) m, sorvedouro (pt) m, voragem (pt) f
• Romanian: vâltoare (ro) f, volbură (ro) f, vârtej (ro) n
• Russian: водоворо́т (ru) m (vodovorót)
• Scots: swelchie
• Scottish Gaelic: coire m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: вртлог m, ковитлац m

  Roman: vrtlog (sh) m, kovitlac (sh) m

• Spanish: remolino (es) m, vorágine (es)
• Swedish: strömvirvel c
• Telugu: సుడిగుండము (te) (suḍiguṇḍamu)
• Turkish: anafor (tr), burgaç (tr)
• Ukrainian: вир m (vyr)
• Vietnamese: xoáy nước
• Welsh: trobwll m

jacuzzi — see jacuzzi

Verb

whirlpool (third-person singular simple present whirlpools, present participle whirlpooling, simple past and past participle whirlpooled)

1. (intransitive) To spin or swirl like the water in a whirlpool.

Derived terms

• whirlpooling