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whirlwind definition

whirl·wind (-wind′)

noun

  1. a current of air whirling violently upward in a spiral motion around a more or less vertical axis that has a forward motion
  2. anything resembling a whirlwind, as in violent or destructive force

Etymology: ME whirlwynd, prob. based on ON hvirfilvindr

adjective

impetuous and speedy a whirlwind courtship
whirlwind Idioms

sow the wind and reap the whirlwind

to engage in, and suffer the consequences of, evil or folly: Hos. 8:7

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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