whirlwind.

1. A column or mass of air turning rapidly around a center.

2. A period or experience of rapid, crowded, or emotionally intense activity.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• small whirlwind
• dust whirlwind

On the page

A whirlwind lifted leaves from the courtyard.

Usage notes

Primary category: setting / environment. Forms: Singular whirlwind; plural whirlwinds. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common.