maelstrom

See also: maelström and maëlstrom

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From obsolete Dutch maelstrom (modern Dutch maalstroom),[1] from malen (“to whirl, grind”) (from Proto-Germanic *malaną) and stroom (“stream”).[2] Compare German Mahlstrom, Danish malstrøm, both equally borrowed from Dutch.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈmeɪlstɹəm/

Noun

maelstrom (plural maelstroms)

  1. A large and violent whirlpool.
    • 2001 — Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl, p 212
      A hulking shape burst through the doorway and hurtled down the corridor, leaving a maelstrom of air currents in his wake.
  2. (figuratively) Any violent or turbulent situation.
    • 2019 May 5, Danette Chavez, “Campaigns are waged on and off the Game Of Thrones battlefield (newbies)”, in The A.V. Club‎:
      Setting our sights back on King’s Landing, where the Last War will be waged, makes a lot of sense, even if it does feel a bit anticlimactic after last week’s deadly, blustery maelstrom.

Translations

See also

References
  1. Maelstrom in the Merriam-Webster book of word histories
  2. “Maelstrom” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019.
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