different between maelstrom vs eddy

English

Etymology

Originally the name of a giant whirlpool supposed to exist off the west coast of Norway in the Arctic Ocean which was said to destroy all ships that came close to it, borrowed from early modern Dutch maelstrom (“whirlpool”) (obsolete) (modern Dutch maalstroom), from malen (“to whirl around; to grind”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *melh?- (“to crush, grind”)) + stroom (“stream; river; current or flow of water or other liquid”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *srew- (“to flow, stream”)). The English word is cognate with Danish malstrøm, German Mahlstrom.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?me?lst??m/, /-st??m/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?me?l?st??m/, /?me?lzt??m/
• Hyphenation: mael?strom

Noun

maelstrom (plural maelstroms)

1. A large and violent whirlpool.
2. (figuratively) A chaotic or turbulent situation.

Alternative forms

• maelström (dated)

Translations

Notes

References

Further reading

• whirlpool on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “Maelstrom”, in The Merriam–Webster New Book of Word Histories, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1991, ?ISBN, page 300.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “maelstrom”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

English

Etymology

From Middle English eddy, from Old English ed?a, from ed- (“turning, back, reverse”) + ?a (“water”), equivalent to ed- +? ea.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /??d.i/
• Rhymes: -?di

Noun

eddy (plural eddies)

1. A current of air or water running back, or in an opposite direction to the main current.
2. A circular current; a whirlpool.

Related terms

Translations

See also

• countercurrent
• dust devil

Verb

eddy (third-person singular simple present eddies, present participle eddying, simple past and past participle eddied)

1. (intransitive) To form an eddy; to move in, or as if in, an eddy; to move in a circle.
   • 1815, William Wordsworth, The Kitten and falling Leaves

     Eddying round and round they sink.

References

Anagrams

• dyde, dyed

Luxembourgish

Etymology

From French adieu.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ædi/

Interjection

eddy

1. Nonstandard spelling of äddi.

Welsh

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /??ð??/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /?e?ði/, /??ði/

Verb

eddy

1. Obsolete form of addawa (“(s/he) promises”).