whirlpool

noun

whirl·​pool ˈ(h)wər(-ə)l-ˌpül 

1

a

: a confused tumult and bustle : whirl

b

: a magnetic or impelling force by which something may be engulfed

refusing to be drawn into this whirlpool of intrigue

—A. D. White

2

a

: water moving rapidly in a circle so as to produce a depression in the center into which floating objects may be drawn : eddy, vortex

b

: whirlpool bath

Synonyms

• gulf
• maelstrom
• vortex

Examples of whirlpool in a Sentence

The swimmer was caught in a whirlpool and nearly drowned.

in The Odyssey, Ulysses is trapped between the six-headed monster Scylla and Charybdis, a deadly whirlpool that threatens to suck in his ship

Recent Examples on the Web

The outdoor pool and hot tubs and the spa’s whirlpool are equipped with lifts. —Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2025

Any such reforms will be slow-moving, though, and America is foundering right now in a whirlpool of contested facts. —Adam Marcus, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2025

The polar vortex, a whirlpool of Arctic air typically perched atop the North Pole, dislodged and descended into the Midwest causing the bitter cold. —Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2025

The ever-growing power needs of blockchain, and now AI, are like an all-consuming vortex, where the demands spiral deeper and wider, pulling in more resources with each passing moment, much like a cosmic whirlpool. —Eric Solis, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing whirlpool

• whirlpool bath

Rhymes for whirlpool

• ampoule
• bascule
• carpool
• cesspool
• ferrule
• footstool
• guayule
• lobule
• misrule
• preschool
• pustule
• boule

Kids Definition

whirlpool

noun

whirl·​pool ˈhwər(-ə)l-ˌpül 

ˈwər(-ə)l-

1

: water moving rapidly in a circle with a hollow in the center into which floating objects are drawn : eddy

2

: whirlpool bath

Medical Definition

whirlpool

noun

whirl·​pool ˈhwər(-ə)l-ˌpül, ˈwər(-ə)l- 

: whirlpool bath