Maelstrom Definition
mālstrəm
noun
A famous strong, swirling tidal current off the W coast of Norway, hazardous to safe navigation.
Webster's New World
A violent or turbulent situation.
Caught in the maelstrom of war.
American Heritage
Any large or violent whirlpool.
Webster's New World
A violently confused or dangerously agitated state of mind, emotion, affairs, etc.
Webster's New World
Other Word Forms of Maelstrom
Noun
Singular:
maelstrom
Plural:
maelstromsOrigin of Maelstrom
-
From obsolete Dutch maelstrom (modern Dutch maalstroom), from malen (“to whirl, grind") (from Proto-Germanic *malanÄ…) and stroom (“stream"). Compare German Mahlstrom, Danish malstrøm.
From Wiktionary
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Obsolete Dutch Dutch malen to grind, whirl (from Middle Dutch melə- in Indo-European roots) Dutch stroom stream (from Middle Dutch sreu- in Indo-European roots)
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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