vortical

English

WOTD – 7 July 2011

Etymology

From (the stem of) Latin vortex + -al.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈvɔːtɪk(ə)l/

Adjective

vortical (comparative more vortical, superlative most vortical)

  1. Of or pertaining to a vortex; containing vortices; moving in a vortex. [from 17th c.]
    • 1888, Alexander Winchell, World-life: or, Comparative Geology, part II:
      He assumed, in brief, that infinite space is filled with infinite matter; that matter was originally in a chaotic, formless condition; that the cosmical bodies arose at first from vortical motions in the original mass.
    • 1968, "Orpheus Now", Time, 20 Dec 1968:
      The book's owner, Maurice Conchis (Anthony Quinn) befriends Urfe and brings him into his vortical universe.
    • 2002, David De Young, The Physics of Extragalactic Radio Sources, page 174:
      In many cases, examination of the flow fields in greater detail reveals a more vortical or turbulent flow around the collimated core.
    • 2005, Engineering Turbulence Modelling and Experiments 6, page 187:
      Motion around the eddy is called vortical, and motion along the axis is called jetal.

Synonyms

  • (containing vortices): turbulent (of fluid flow)

Translations

Anagrams

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