Word of the Day 3.12.09
maelstrom
mael·strom (m
l
str
m)
n.
1. A violent or turbulent situation: caught in the maelstrom of war.
2. A whirlpool of extraordinary size or violence.
[Obsolete Dutch : Dutch malen, to grind, whirl (from Middle Dutch; see mel- in Indo-European roots) + Dutch stroom, stream (from Middle Dutch; see sreu- in Indo-European roots).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
| Noun | 1. | maelstrom – a powerful circular current of water (usually the result of conflicting tides)
current, stream – a steady flow of a fluid (usually from natural causes); “the raft floated downstream on the current”; “he felt a stream of air”; “the hose ejected a stream of water”
Charybdis – (Greek mythology) a ship-devouring whirlpool lying on the other side of a narrow strait from Scylla
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Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
