What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Whirlwind vs Hurricane - What's the difference?

whirlwind | hurricane |

As nouns the difference between whirlwind and hurricane

is that whirlwind is a violent windstorm of limited extent, as the tornado, characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air with an upward current in the center; a vortex of air. It usually has a rapid progressive motion while hurricane is a severe tropical cyclone in the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, or in the eastern North Pacific off the west coast of Mexico, with winds of 74 miles per hour (119 kph) or greater accompanied by rain, lightning, and thunder that sometimes moves into temperate latitudes.

As an adjective whirlwind

is rapid and minimal: a whirlwind tour, a whirlwind guide.

As a proper noun Hurricane is

a British fighter aircraft used during World War II, especially during the Battle of Britain.

whirlwind

English

Noun

(wikipedia whirlwind)
  • A violent windstorm of limited extent, as the tornado, characterized by an inward spiral motion of the air with an upward current in the center; a vortex of air. It usually has a rapid progressive motion.
  • (figuratively) A person or body of objects or events sweeping violently onward.
  • The weeks leading up to the convention were a whirlwind of preparation and hurried activity.
    Once he got that new scooter he turned into a whirlwind and damaged all the flowers.

    Derived terms

    *

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Rapid and minimal: a whirlwind tour'', ''a whirlwind guide .
  • hurricane

    English

    (Tropical cyclone)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) , ultimately from the name of the (etyl) storm god Juracán whom the Taínos believed dwelled on El Yunque mountain and, when he was upset, sent the strong winds and rain upon them.

    Noun

  • (en noun)
  • A severe tropical cyclone in the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea]], Gulf of Mexico, or in the eastern North [[Pacific Ocean, Pacific off the west coast of Mexico, with winds of 74 miles per hour (119 kph) or greater accompanied by rain, lightning, and thunder that sometimes moves into temperate latitudes.
  • * {{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 .}}
  • (meteorology) a wind scale for quite strong wind, stronger than a storm
  • Coordinate terms
    * (type of a cyclone) cyclone, tropical storm, typhoon * (meteorology) breeze, gale, storm
    See also
    * * anticyclone * wind

    Etymology 2

    Coined by Jeret Peterson

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (sports, aerial freestyle skiing) "full—triple-full—full" – an acrobatic maneuver consisting of three flips and five twists, with one twist on the first flip, three twists on the second flip, one twist on the third flip
  • See also
    * (freestyle aerial skiing) rudy, randy, daffy, full, double-full, triple-full, lay, back, slap-back, stretch