noun pl. vortexes or vortices
- a whirling mass of water forming a vacuum at its center, into which anything caught in the motion is drawn; whirlpool
- a whirl or powerful eddy of air; whirlwind
- any activity, situation, or state of affairs that resembles a whirl or eddy in its rush, absorbing effect, catastrophic power, etc.
Origin:
L vortex, var. of vertex: see vertex