Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Maelstrom

Mael′strom

,

Noun.

[Norw., a whirlpool.]

1.

A celebrated whirlpool on the coast of Norway.

Hence:

any large or powerful whirlpool.

Syn. – whirlpool, vortex.

Definition 2024

maelstrom

maelstrom

See also: maelström and maëlstrom

English

Alternative forms

maelström

Noun

maelstrom ‎(plural maelstroms)

A large and violent whirlpool.
- 2001 — Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl, p 212
  A hulking shape burst through the doorway and hurtled down the corridor, leaving a maelstrom of air currents in his wake.
Any violent or turbulent situation.

Translations

large whirlpool

Catalan: voràgine f
Chinese:
Mandarin: 漩渦 (zh), 漩涡 (zh) ‎(xuánwō)
Danish: malstrøm
Dutch: maalstroom (nl), moskstraumen, moskenstraumen
Faroese: meldur, meldurstreymur, malustreymur
Finnish: kurimus, akanvirta (fi)
French: tourbillon (fr) m, maëlstrom (fr) m

German: Mahlstrom (de) m
Norwegian: malstrøm (no), mælstrøm, malstraum
Portuguese: voragem (pt)
Russian: водоворо́т (ru) m ‎(vodovorót)
Slovak: vír m
Spanish: vorágine (es)
Swedish: malström (sv)
Tagalog: alimpuyo (tl)

any violent or turbulent situation

Catalan: voràgine f
Dutch: maalstroom (nl)
Finnish: kurimus
Japanese: 狂瀾怒涛 ‎(kyōrandotō)

Norwegian: malstrøm (no), mælstrøm, malstraum
Russian: водоворо́т (ru) m ‎(vodovorót), вихрь (ru) m ‎(vixrʹ)
Spanish: vorágine (es)

See also

Maelstrom on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Moskstraumen on the Dutch Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^nl

References

↑ Maelstrom in the Merriam-Webster book of word histories
↑ “Maelstrom” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).