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Tornado vs Whirl - What's the difference?

tornado | whirl |

As nouns the difference between tornado and whirl

is that tornado is a violent windstorm characterized by a twisting, funnel-shaped cloud while whirl is an act of whirling.

As a verb whirl is

to rotate, revolve, spin or turn rapidly.

tornado

Noun

(en-noun)
  • (meteorology) A violent windstorm characterized by a twisting, funnel-shaped cloud.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-03
  • , author=Frank Fish, George Lauder , title=Not Just Going with the Flow , volume=101, issue=2, page=114 , magazine= citation , passage=An extreme version of vorticity is a vortex . The vortex is a spinning, cyclonic mass of fluid, which can be observed in the rotation of water going down a drain, as well as in smoke rings, tornados and hurricanes.}}
    A tornado is a rotating column of air, pendant from a cumulonimbus cloud, and nearly always observable as a funnel cloud or tuba. Its vortex, meters in diameter, rotates counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere, and clockwise in the southern hemisphere, with wind speeds of 160 to more than 480 kilometres per hour.

    Synonyms

    * twister * cyclone

    Derived terms

    * tornado watch, tornado warning (A tornado watch' means that conditions are favorable for producing a tornado. A tornado ' warning means that a tornado has been sighted in the area or has been detected on radar.) * tornado shelter

    See also

    * cyclone * dust devil * hurricane * tsunami * typhoon * waterspout * willy willy

    Anagrams

    * * * ----

    whirl

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (label) To rotate, revolve, spin or turn rapidly.
  • * (John Dryden) (1631-1700)
  • He whirls his sword around without delay.
  • * 1900 , , (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)
  • The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon.
  • (label) To have a sensation of spinning or reeling.
  • (label) To make something or someone whirl.
  • (label) To remove or carry quickly with, or as with, a revolving motion; to snatch.
  • * (John Milton) (1608-1674)
  • See, see the chariot, and those rushing wheels, / That whirled the prophet up at Chebar flood.
  • * (1809-1892)
  • The passionate heart of the poet is whirl'd into folly.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An act of whirling.
  • She gave the top a whirl and it spun across the floor.
  • Something that whirls.
  • A confused tumult.
  • A rapid series of events
  • My life is one social whirl .
  • Dizziness or giddiness.
  • A brief experiment or trial.
  • OK, let's give it a whirl .

    Derived terms

    * whirligig * whirlpool English terms with homophones