Meanings
plural whirlpools
- figurativelyA state of turmoil or agitated excitement.
present singular third person whirlpools · participle present whirlpooling · participle past whirlpooled · past whirlpooled
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna powerful circular current of water (usually the result of conflicting tides)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englishhwierfepōl“whirlpool”
- Old Englishhwierfel“whirlpool”
- Middle English*whirlpole
- Englishwhirlpool
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”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek δίνη, ἶλιγξ
- δίνη (dínē)swirling body of water
- ἶλιγξ (îlinx)swirling body of water
Arabic دَوَّامَة
- دَوَّامَة (dawwāma)swirling body of water
Bulgarian водовъртеж
- водовъртеж (vodovărtež)swirling body of water
Catalan remolí
- remolíswirling body of water
Chinese Mandarin 渦流 /涡流, 渦 /涡
- 渦流 /涡流 (wōliú)swirling body of water
- 渦 /涡 (wō)swirling body of water
Czech vír
- vírswirling body of water
Danish strømhvirvel
- strømhvirvelswirling body of water
Dutch draaikolk
- draaikolkswirling body of water
Esperanto akvokirlo, akvoturno
- akvokirloswirling body of water
- akvoturnoswirling body of water
Finnish pyörre, vesipyörre
- pyörreswirling body of water
- vesipyörreswirling body of water
- kurimusswirling body of water
French tourbillon
- tourbillonswirling body of water
German Wirbel, Strudel
- Wirbelswirling body of water
- Strudelswirling body of water
- Stromschnelleswirling body of water
Greek δίνη
- δίνη (díni)swirling body of water
Hebrew מְעַרְבֹּלֶת
- מְעַרְבֹּלֶת (ma'arbólet)swirling body of water
Hindi जलघुमर
- जलघुमर (jalghumar)swirling body of water
Hungarian örvény
- örvényswirling body of water
Icelandic iðustraumur, hafsvelgur
- iðustraumurswirling body of water
- hafsvelgurswirling body of water
Italian vortice, mulinello
- vorticeswirling body of water
- mulinelloswirling body of water
- gorgoswirling body of water
Japanese 渦
- 渦 (uzu)swirling body of water
Latin gurges, vortex
- gurgesswirling body of water
- vortexswirling body of water
- vertexswirling body of water
- Charybdisswirling body of water
Māori toiremi, kōmingomingo
- toiremiswirling body of water
- kōmingomingoswirling body of water
- kororiposwirling body of water
- riposwirling body of water
- riporiposwirling body of water
- kōriposwirling body of water
- auriposwirling body of water
- āwhiowhioswirling body of water
- auswirling body of water
- ririnoswirling body of water
Norwegian strømvirvel
- strømvirvelswirling body of water
Persian گرداب, ورطه
- گرداب (gerdâb)swirling body of water
- ورطه (varte)swirling body of water
Polish wir wodny
- wir wodnyswirling body of water
Portuguese redemoinho, remoinho
- redemoinhoswirling body of water
- remoinhoswirling body of water
- rodamoinhoswirling body of water
- turbilhãoswirling body of water
- vórticeswirling body of water
- sorvedouroswirling body of water
- voragemswirling body of water
Romanian vâltoare, volbură
- vâltoareswirling body of water
- volburăswirling body of water
- vârtejswirling body of water
Russian водоворо́т
- водоворо́т (vodovorót)swirling body of water
Scottish Gaelic coire
- coireswirling body of water
Spanish remolino, vorágine
- remolinoswirling body of water
- vorágineswirling body of water
Swedish strömvirvel
- strömvirvelswirling body of water
Turkish anafor, girdap
- anaforswirling body of water
- girdapswirling body of water
- burgaçswirling body of water
Ukrainian вир
- вир (vyr)swirling body of water
Vietnamese xoáy nước
- xoáy nướcswirling body of water
Welsh trobwll
- trobwllswirling body of water
Cite this entry
whirlpool. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whirlpool
“whirlpool.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whirlpool. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “whirlpool,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/whirlpool.
Source: whirlpool on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.